Brawl in the Ohio 8th: Roger Reynolds to run for Boehner’s seat

While the fight for John Boehner’s position as Speaker of the House will undoubtedly continue to heat up nationally, many in Ohio are looking to the Southwest part of the state as congressional hopefuls have already started to line up to fill Boehner’s congressional seat. So far, State Representative Bill Beagle, former Boehner primary challenger J.D. Winteregg, and now Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds have thrown their hats in to the ring to replace Boehner. Surely another notable name or two (Steve Austria might want to head back to Congress?) will announce before Halloween.

Of the three who have already announced, today’s announcement by Roger Reynolds is the most interesting.

Back on September 30th, Mr. Reynolds opened a campaign account, but stated that he had not yet made a final decision to run. Between then and today Reynolds has undoubtedly been rallying supporters and financial backers as this special election will be costly for any serious contender. Reynolds has a strong and unique case for why voters should choose him: he has been three elected times to the post of Auditor in Butler County due to his strong fiscal record. With the public’s continual disapproval of congress and it’s handling the nation’s purse, many voters will look to a public official who has a visible track record of keeping government spending under control. Mr. Reynolds’s  fiscal responsibility was awarded back in 2013 with an “Award With Distinction for excellence in financial reporting” from State Auditor Dave Yost.

Reynolds highlighted his fiscal credentials during his announcement speech on Wednesday morning outside his newly opened campaign headquarters in Liberty Township:

“The tax and spend culture of Washington D.C. has led us to a national debt of more than $19 trillion , which serves as a great burden for my children, your children, and a generation to come. The fact of the matter is the people of the 8th district deserve a representative in Congress with proven financial and private sector experience, a track record of making tough decisions, and most importantly a blueprint for success.”

Beyond the three who have announced intentions to run, several have already announced their intentions to pass on this opportunity.

State Representatives Wes Retherford and Bill Coley have already announced they have no intention of running for this seat along with Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones. It was Sheriff Jones who back in 2014 sent a $900,000 invoice to Mexican President Enrique Pena Niet for his office’s processing of illegal immigrants inside of Butler County. Maybe Sheriff Jones is waiting on an invitation from Donald Trump to be his Vice President?

While the field of who is not running is colorful, the field of actual contenders is even more so.

At this point with the three announced candidates there is an interesting variety of GOP contenders: the Establishment Candidate in Senator Bill Beagle, the Tea-Party Candidate in J.D Winteregg, and the professional, results-driven candidate in Auditor Roger Reynolds. Which of these has the credentials and experience to actually make a splash in Washington?