By Wayne Gates
State Senator Joe Uecker is resigning from the senate to take a job with the Ohio Department of Transportation.
His resignation is effective at the end of the month.
“I thank our community for all of the support they have shown me over the years, and I look forward to continuing to serve them in my new role with the Ohio Department of Transportation,” said Senator Uecker in a press release.
Senate President Larry Obhof responded that “Joe has been a tireless advocate for southwest Ohio. We thank him for his service to the people of the state of Ohio and wish him well as he begins this new chapter in his life.”
In a followup press release, Obhof announced that the Senate Republican Caucus would appoint a temporary replacement to the seat for the term that ends in December 2020. The deadline for applying for consideration of the seat is 4 p.m. on August 23. Obhof lined out the application process.
“Applicants should send a letter expressing interest in the position, a resume, and any other supporting materials that the applicant considers relevant to his or her qualifications. Application materials should be sent or hand-delivered to the following address:
The Honorable Larry Obhof
President, Ohio Senate
Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Room 201
Columbus, OH 43215
Please send an identical copy of the application to the Senate Chief of Staff:
Mr. John Barron
Chief of Staff, Ohio Senate
Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Room 201
Columbus, OH 43215”
Ohio Senate Majority Spokesperson John Fortney told The News Democrat that a decision on who to appoint to replace Uecker has not been made and would not be made until the completion of the public application process.
Fortney said that a selection committee would be formed to review the applications and that the committee would make a recommendation to the 24 members of the Ohio Republican Senate Caucus, who would then vote on the nominee of the committee.
“Applicants are expected to be available to meet in person with the screening committee and will be contacted by the majority caucus to schedule any necessary interviews,” reads the senate press release on the process.
Former state representative Terry Johnson of House District 90 in the Portsmouth area and Brown County business owner Paul Hall have already told The News Democrat that they are interested in the appointment.
“I feel that my time serving the legislature was a real honor. I feel like I am being called to serve and I look forward to a competitive process to find the best person to serve the interests of the people of the 14th Ohio Senate District,” said Johnson.
“Seven years ago when I ran against Joe, I felt like we needed some representation from the private sector from folks that have been out there hiring and firing and trying to generate business and jobs. I think that need is greater today.”
Uecker defeated Hall for the state senate seat by less than 200 votes in 2012.
Both Johnson and Hall said that they intended to run for the full term for the seat in 2020.
State Representative Doug Green has made public his intent to run for the senate seat in 2020, but did not return a request for comment from The News Democrat prior to press time regarding his intent to seek appointment to the seat from the Ohio Republican Senate Caucus.
The primary election for the senate seat will be held March 3, 2020.
Uecker also released an open letter to the public which is published in its entirety below;
“I have dedicated the majority of my adult life to public service. Throughout my career, I have served in a variety of capacities, including time as the Administrator of the Clermont County Engineer’s office, as a Clermont County Sheriff’s Deputy, as a Miami Township Trustee, and as a State Representative. Currently, I represent you in the Ohio Senate.
When I first entered the State Legislature, I had three primary goals: defend innocent life, fight for the second amendment, and boost economic development that would create jobs and prosperity for my community. It has been my honor to help lead the charge in Ohio’s pro-life and gun rights movements.
I am also proud of my record on economic development. I have always supported pro-growth policies and I have never supported a net increase of our taxes. However, there is more work to be done. Even though the Trump economy is booming, in 2018, Forbes listed Ohio as the 20th best state for business in the country. We can do better.
After a series of recent meetings with the Ohio Department of Transportation they have invited me to join their economic development team. It has been a difficult decision for many reasons. However, in the days following our meeting, I kept finding myself thinking about the new opportunity and the kind of impact I could have by using my experience and skills in continuing my work to expand and improve economic development in Southwest Ohio.
After thoughtful discussion with my wife, on Wednesday I accepted the position with the Ohio Department of Transportation. Often times, businesses wish to relocate to our great state, but are unable to do so due to insufficient roads and transportation infrastructure. When those needs aren’t met, the business usually goes to a different state. In this new role, my responsibility will be to work with businesses looking to move or expand in Ohio and to ensure their infrastructure needs are met in an efficient and timely manner. As our economy continues to boom, thanks to conservative leadership on both the national and the state levels, this job is more important than ever, and I could not be more excited to contribute to our community’s economic development in a major way.
As a result of my acceptance of the position, I have two announcements:
1. I am withdrawing my candidacy from the race for Clermont County Commissioner.
2. In the coming weeks, I will be resigning from the Ohio Senate in order to begin my new job.
These decisions were made with a great deal of prayer, consideration, and counsel from friends and family. I was very much looking forward to campaigning and serving as a member of the Clermont County Board of Commissioners.
It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the 14th Senate District. Thank you all for the many years of support and for allowing me the high honor of representing you in the Ohio Senate. I am eternally grateful for all that you have done for me. I hope that I have represented you well and have made you proud.”