Will fill in unexpired term until January 2021

For the first time in a quarter century, someone from Lawrence County will be the District 93 Ohio House of Representative — Lawrence County auditor Jason Stephens.

On Monday, a committee of four state representatives, who were appointed by the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder, selected Stephens to fill the unexpired term of former District 93 representative Ryan Smith, who left the Ohio Legislature last week to be the president of the University of Rio Grande.

Stephens said he was honored to be picked.

“It is an interesting feeling. I am, of course, excited to be picked. It is an honor, I know that sounds clichéd, but it really is an honor,” said Stephens, who besides being the Lawrence County auditor, is also the chairman of the Lawrence County Republican Party. “I am really appreciative of the opportunity.”

Stephens will be sworn in as a representative on Thursday and his resignation as auditor will be effective then. The unexpired term runs until January 2021.

Householder made the announcement on Monday evening, saying Stephens “has a strong record of community service both as a small businessman and in local office. He has the experience to hit the ground running and represent his constituents in the Ohio House.”

Stephens served as a county commissioner from 2001-2011 and then ran to become the county auditor. He has been re-elected to that position three times, the last being in 2018 when he got nearly 65 percent of the vote.

He said the reward of public service is helping people and that is what he is looking forward to.

“Not only helping us here in southern Ohio, but the whole state,” Stephens said. “It will be an interesting experience and I am looking forward to it.”

There is still three years left in Stephen’s position as auditor.

After meeting with legislators in Columbus, Stephens drove back to Ironton for a Republican Central Committee meeting.

Stephens announced his resignation as auditor on Tuesday morning at the Lawrence County Commissioner meeting and the commissioners appointed former Chesapeake mayor as temporary county auditor.

Stephens will be sworn in as a representative on Thursday and his resignation will be effective then. The unexpired term runs until January 2021.

Stephens said that Republican Central Committee is tentatively scheduled to meet on Oct. 21 to pick someone to be the auditor for a year and then it will be on the March primary 2020 ballot to fill out the last two years of the term.

District 93 of the Ohio House of Representatives covers 116,725 citizens in most of Lawrence County except Coal Grove, Ironton, and Hamilton Township, all of Gallia, Jackson counties and half of Vinton County.