By Wayne Gates
Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is saying that a group spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in local statehouse races is doing what the house republican caucus wants.
“Certainly they know the folks we had an interest in. They do know that. It’s pretty obvious,” Householder said in an exclusive interview with The Brown County Press.
Householder said that the Growth and Opportunity PAC is supporting candidates that are approved by house leadership, but is doing it independently.
“In regards to the Growth and Opportunity PAC, that is a separate entity from the house republican caucus. I raise money to it, but I don’t control it. Whatever message they use, whatever they decide to do, I stay clear of that,” he said.
The Growth and Opportunity PAC has been very active in the races for house districts 65 and 66.
In both districts, the group has spent $265,000 in documented spending for advertising on local radio and television, according to FCC documents.
The group has also paid for direct mail advertising, polling, telephone calls and other support for candidate Jean Schmidt in District 65 and candidate Allen Freeman in District 66.
District 65 is in Clermont County. Schmidt is being opposed by Dillon Blevins and Joe Dills.
District 66 encompasses Brown County and a portion of Clermont County.
Freeman is opposed by Adam Bird and Nick Owens.
Owens and Bird have stated that they believe that the total amount being spent by the Growth and Opportunity PAC in both districts exceeds $500,000.
That is an unprecedented amount of money to be spent in Ohio house races.
Householder said that the use of the Growth and Opportunity PAC comes down to finding good candidates.
“In districts where we have chosen, or in this instance the Growth and Opportunity PAC has chosen, to get involved, there is a tremendous amount of vetting that we do.”
He added, “We’ve gone through a time in the house where we have had quite a mess in the last several years prior to me being speaker. We’re trying to find the right people to come to Columbus, people who have a good background, who are solid folks who are coming for the right reasons.”
Householder also said that the Growth and Opportunity PAC is not working in every district in the state.
“There are districts in the state of Ohio that have open primaries like this, that frankly no one is participating in (to influence the outcome) because we felt that all of the folks running as candidates were just as good as any of the other ones or had a good solid background, didn’t have a lot of tax liens or stuff like that,” Householder said.
“I’m not involved in the daily decision making of the Growth and Opportunity PAC, but at end of the day, I am certain that there are reasons why they chose one candidate over another candidate to support.”
When asked about the perception of the amount of money being spent in the house districts, Householder said “I know it’s always a concern for folks back in the districts. We want folks in the districts to elect good people and send them to Columbus that are going to do a great job for them.”
When asked if Schmidt or Freeman had made promises of loyalty or to vote a certain way in exchange for financial support, Householder said “Absolutely not. “I think you can talk with any of these legislators who work with me and they will tell you that that’s not how we do things.”
He added, “My goal is to do what’s best for the state of Ohio and the people of these particular districts and I just want to see good folks that are going to be there to represent them. And people that’s aren’t going to cause problems that folks back home aren’t going to be embarrassed of.”
The Growth and Opportunity PAC has a deadline of April 15 to file a financial report with the Federal Election Commission that describes fundraising sources and expenditures.
