Ohio Gov. Sets Special Election to Fill Bill Johnson’s Seat
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine set the special election dates for the vacancy in the state’s 6th Congressional District caused by the earlier-than-expected departure of Republican Rep. Bill Johnson.
The scheduled upcoming elections will include a partisan primary set for March 19, and the general election on June 11.
Johnson, a Republican, has represented the district since 2011. He announced last year that he was leaving Congress to assume the presidency of Youngstown State University.
He initially said he planned to leave Congress on March 15, but recently announced he will be leaving Jan. 21 to start his new job the following day.
The schedule set forth by the governor requires those interested in running for the seat to file their declarations of candidacy by Jan. 19.
The Mahoning County Board of Elections will then have until Jan. 24 to certify the names of the candidates that will appear on the special primary ballot to Washington, Noble, Monroe, Belmont, Harrison, Jefferson, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Stark and Columbiana county boards of elections.
In the resignation letter he sent to both DeWine and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., the Ohio congressman described the residents of his district as “proud and patriotic.”
“These blue-collar communities, like countless others in ‘flyover county,’ were critical in building our great nation and will play a pivotal role in America’s future. I am extremely humbled to have been repeatedly elected to serve them,” he said.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
