Following Congressman Brad Wenstrup’s announcement that he will not be running for another term, several candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to run for the seat in Ohio’s Second Congressional District, including one Brown County local, Tim O’Hara.
O’Hara is a former U.S. Marine drill instructor who resides in Hamersville with his wife, Tracy, and their three daughters.
The race for the seat in Ohio’s Second Congressional District is heating up as the March primary election draws near, and many Brown County Republicans have announced their support for O’Hara, including Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis.
Ellis (U.S. Army, Maj. Gen. retired) recently announced his endorsement of O’Hara in the race for Congress.
“Having served for more than four decades in the Army and as the Sheriff of Brown County, I know what leadership looks like, and I know what our communities need to thrive,” Ellis said in his recent endorsement of O’Hara. “Tim and I have had extensive conversations regarding national strategic initiatives, and Tim has displayed the ability to understand the current complex international environment where U.S. national interests are involved. Tim O’Hara has spent his life serving his country and giving back to his community. Whether it was as a Marine Drill Instructor, as a business owner, or as a volunteer, he has always put others first and duty before personal ambition. Right now, Washington is a mess. We need true servant leaders like Tim O’Hara in Congress to straighten the place out. I’m proud to endorse him.”
Ellis will soon be retiring as Brown County Sheriff and has announced his run for Brown County commissioner, and O’Hara is certainly thankful to get his endorsement in the race of Congress.
“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of someone who has spent his life serving our country, and especially southern Ohio,” O’Hara said. “Sheriff Ellis has served with distinction, and his counsel will be important to me in Congress. This is a great sign of momentum for our campaign, and I’m proud to have earned his support.”
Also supporting O’Hara is former Brown County Juvenile/Probate Judge and former state representative, Danny Bubp, who previously considered running for Ohio’s Second Congressional District before deciding he would instead back O’Hara.
“I announce that I am not running and, in fact, I will be voting for Tim O’Hara,” Bubp said.
“I’d like to see the next Congressman come from Brown County,” said Bubp.
O’Hara got the opportunity to speak publicly during a “Meet the Candidates for Ohio’s Second Congressional District” event hosted by the Brown County Conservative Republican Women’s Club in December at The Venue on Lake Grant in Mt. Orab.
“If you know nothing else about me after today, I want you to know that I was a drill instructor for the United States Marine Corps. I helped shape and mold the future leaders of America. It was one of the highest honors bestowed upon me,” O’Hara said to the crowd during the “Meet the Candidates” event.
Four days after graduating from Western Brown High School, O’Hara went to boot camp at Parris Island and served seven-and-a-half years in the Marine Corps. His military career included several deployments as an infantryman, leadership training, and a tour as a drill instructor. He was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant.
Following his military service, O’Hara found success as a business owner, franchising Radio Shack dealerships, Verizon Wireless agencies, LaRosa’s Pizzerias, and Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in southern Ohio.
“Right now, our country is in peril. We have a wide open border, our perimeters are open, we have the Communist Party China buying up our farm land, we have drugs, inflation, and crime on the rise,” said O’Hara. “Right now, Washington needs leadership…it needs a drill instructor. I’m asking you to send me there.”
“We need to take the career politician mentality and transform it, and bring back honor, courage, and commitment. The people in Washington need to know that they work for you, the American taxpayer; and that’s what I’ll do,” said O’Hara.
Wenstrup has represented Ohio’s Second Congressional District since 2012.
Ohio’s Second Congressional District covers all of Clermont, Clinton, Pike, Adams, Brown, Highland, Ross, Scioto, Pickaway, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia, and Meigs counties, as well as a portion of Fayette County. The district is overwhelmingly Republican.
The filing deadline for candidates was Dec. 20.
The winners of the March primaries will face off in the general election Nov. 5.
Also among the candidates running for Ohio’s Second Congressional District are Niraj Antani (of Miamisburg), Kim Georgeton (of Cincinnati), Chris Hicks (of Cincinnati), Charles Tassell (of Batavia), Derek Myers (of Chillicothe), Larry Kidd (of Jackson), Shane Wilkin (of Hillsboro) and David Taylor (of Clermont County).
The endorsement meeting for the Brown County Republicans is set for 7 p.m. on Jan. 11.