Matt Huffman
2017 - Present
2024
7
Matt Huffman (Republican Party) is a member of the Ohio State Senate, representing District 12. He assumed office on January 1, 2017. His current term ends on December 31, 2024.
Huffman (Republican Party) is running for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 78. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the Republican primary on March 19, 2024.
Huffman was elected state Senate president in 2020.[1][2][3] Huffman was term-limited from running for re-election to the Senate in 2024. Ohio was one of 16 states where state legislators were subject to term limits as of 2024.
Born in Lima, Ohio, Huffman earned a B.A. in Government and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame.[4] Huffman joined his father's law firm, Huffman, Kelley, Brock & Gottschalk, and continued to practice law as of 2024.[5]
Huffman got his start in politics in 1992, on the Lima City Council, serving as council president from 1998 to 2006.[6] Huffman entered the Ohio House of Representatives in 2006, when he defeated Dennis Shreefer (D) 58.2% to 41.8%. He won re-election in 2008, 2010, and 2012. From 2012 to 2014, Huffman served as Speaker Pro Tempore, the chamber's second-highest ranking member of the chamber.[4] He did not seek re-election in 2014. In 2016, Huffman ran unopposed for Ohio State Senate District 12. He won re-election in 2020, defeating Ken Poling (D) 79.3% to 20.7%.
As Senate President in 2021, Huffman supported Senate Bill 22, which allowed the legislature to cancel health orders that last longer than 30 days and required the governor to periodically renew such orders. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) vetoed the legislation, but the Ohio State Legislature overrode the veto.[7] Huffman said, "The people must never feel forgotten, especially during times of emergency, when unchecked power can be used to impact lives and livelihoods."[8]
Huffman opposed Ohio Issue 2, a 2023 ballot measure that legalized marijuana. Voters approved the measure 57.2% to 42.8%.[9] Huffman also opposed Ohio Issue 1, an 2023 measure to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution that voters approved 56.8% to 43.2%.[10][11] Huffman supported policies that would provide taxpayer funding for private educational expenses. In 2024, Huffman said, "Many of our public schools, frankly, are underfunded and many are overfunded. And trying to change that is pretty difficult. But educational choice needs to be expanded in Ohio."[12]
In his 2024 campaign for the state House, Huffman said, "I have fought for lower taxes, a more efficient government, and innovative ideas to the problems we face."[13] Huffman also said he would run for Speaker of the House in January 2025.[14]
Biography
Huffman earned his B.A. in Government from University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati School of Law. His professional experience includes being a partner with Huffman, Kelley, and Becker and Brock, as an attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.[4]
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Huffman was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Rules and Reference Committee, Chair
- Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, Vice Chair
- Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee
- Legislative Service Commission Committee, Vice Chair
2021-2022
Huffman was assigned to the following committees:
- Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, Vice chair
- Legislative Service Commission Committee, Vice chair
- Senate Rules and Reference Committee, Chair
2019-2020
Huffman was assigned to the following committees:
- Joint Legislative Ethics Committee
- Legislative Service Commission Committee
- Education Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Vice chair
- Senate Rules and Reference Committee
- Energy and Public Utilities Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Ohio committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Education, Vice chair |
| • Government Oversight and Reform |
| • Health, Human Services, and Medicaid |
| • Judiciary |
| • Public Utilities |
| • Rules and Reference |
| • Joint Education Oversight |
| • Joint Legislative Ethics |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Huffman served on the following committees:
| Ohio committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Policy and Legislative Oversight |
| • Rules and Reference |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Huffman served on the following committees:
| Ohio committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • State Government and Elections |
| • Judiciary and Ethics |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Huffman served on the following committees:
| Ohio committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Legislative Ethics |
| • Civil and Commercial Law |
| • Ways and Means |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 78
Matt Huffman is running in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 78 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Matt Huffman (R) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dylan Gross (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 78
Matt Huffman advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 78 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Huffman | 100.0 | 10,958 |
| Total votes: 10,958 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chris Walther (R)
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Huffman received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
2020
See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Ohio State Senate District 12
Incumbent Matt Huffman defeated Ken Poling in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 12 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Huffman (R) | 79.3 | 129,218 |
 | Ken Poling (D) | 20.7 | 33,800 | |
| Total votes: 163,018 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 12
Ken Poling advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 12 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Poling | 100.0 | 10,900 |
| Total votes: 10,900 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 12
Incumbent Matt Huffman advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 12 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Huffman | 100.0 | 33,710 |
| Total votes: 33,710 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2016
- See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Ohio State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015. Incumbent Keith Faber (R) did not seek re-election because of term-limits.
Matt Huffman ran unopposed in the Ohio State Senate District 12 general election.[15]
| Ohio State Senate, District 12 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican |  Matt Huffman (unopposed) | |
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State | ||
Matt Huffman defeated John Adams in the Ohio State Senate District 12 Republican primary.[16][17]
| Ohio State Senate District 12, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Matt Huffman |
63.63% | 43,367 | |
| Republican | John Adams | 36.37% | 24,789 | |
| Total Votes | 68,156 | |||
2012
Huffman won re-election in the 2012 election for Ohio House, District 4. Huffman was unopposed in the March 6 Republican primary election and defeated Robert Huenke (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[18][19][20]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Huffman Incumbent |
66.6% | 31,075 | |
| Democratic | Robert Huenke | 33.4% | 15,552 | |
| Total Votes | 46,627 | |||
2010
Huffman won re-election to District 4 of the Ohio House of Representatives. His opponent was Connie Miller (D).[21]
| Ohio House of Representatives, District 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Matt Huffman (R)
|
24,108 | 72.32% | ||
| Connie Miller (D) | 9,225 | 27.68% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Huffman won election to the Ohio House of Representatives.[22][23][24] He ran unopposed.
| Ohio House of Representatives, District 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Matt Huffman (D)
|
39,979 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Huffman won election to the Ohio House of Representatives.[25] His opponent was Dennis Shreefer (D).
| Ohio House of Representatives, District 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Matt Huffman (D)
|
21,422 | |||
| Dennis Shreefer (R) | 15,371 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2020
Matt Huffman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Ohio scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 2 to December 31.
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2022
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In 2022, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 19 to December 15.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 4 to December 31.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 6 to December 31.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 through December 31.
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2018
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In 2018, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 130th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 through December 31.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 130th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 to December 31.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the 129th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 3 through December 31.
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the 129th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 3 through December 31.[26]
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Huffman and his wife, Sheryl, have four children. They currently reside in Lima, Ohio.[4]
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Ohio House of Representatives District 78 |
Officeholder Ohio State Senate District 12 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Enquirer, "COVID-19 keeps new Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman home on session's first day," January 4, 2024
- ↑ The Ohio Senate, "Huffman Sworn in as President of the Ohio Senate for the 134th General Assembly," January 4, 2021
- ↑ Hometown Stations, "State Senator Matt Huffman elected to serve as Ohio Senate President," November 10, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Ohio Senate, "Matt Huffman biography," accessed May 22, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Huffman, Kelley, Brock & Gottschalk," "Attorneys," accessed May 22, 2024
- ↑ Gongwer, "Senate President Matt Huffman," accessed May 22, 2024
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio lawmakers override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of health order bill," March 24, 2021
- ↑ ABC 6, "Ohio Senate, House override Gov. DeWine's veto of health order bill," March 24, 2021
- ↑ 24 News, "Ohio senators oppose Issue 2, possible it would be amended or repealed if passed," October 19, 2023
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman: ‘As it relates to recreational marijuana, I’m not in favor of it’," February 9, 2022
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Ohio Senate president who promised ‘revolving door’ of efforts to defeat Issue 1 echoes calls for no anti-abortion ballot measures in 2024," November 15, 2023
- ↑ The Ohio Press Network, "LISTEN - Huffman on Ohio speaker: “there has to be a change"," March 30, 2024
- ↑ Matt Huffman 2024 campaign website, "Home page," accessed May 22, 2024
- ↑ https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/03/22/ohio-senate-president-matt-huffman-eyeing-house-speakership-talking-to-democrats/ Ohio Capital Journal, "Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman eyeing House speakership, ‘talking’ to Democrats," March 22, 2024]
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Official election results," accessed December 21, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed February 8, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "2016 Official Elections Results," accessed August 29, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Chamber of Commerce, "2012 General Assembly Primary Candidates," January 17, 2012
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "2012 Republican Primary Results," accessed June 12, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Ohio official results for 2012 General Election," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "State Representative: Results for general election on November 2, 2010," accessed June 11, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Republican State Representative: Results for Primary: March 4, 2008," accessed June 11, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Democratic State Representative: Results for Primary: March 4, 2008," accessed June 11, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "State Representative: Results for general election on November 4, 2008," accessed June 11, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "State Representative: Results for general election on November 7, 2006," accessed June 11, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Ohio State Senate District 12 2017-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Ohio House of Representatives District 4 2007-2014 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Lima City Council 1992-2006 |
Succeeded by - |
