First Posted: 3/2/2015
SIDNEY — Former Ohio Rep. John Adams, of Sidney, has announced plans to campaign for the state Senate seat now held by Keith Faber, R-Celina, 12th District.
Faber’s term will end in December 2016, and term limits will prevent him from seeking re-election.
Adams served four terms as the representative of the 85th District. He concluded his last term in December. During his time in office, he served as minority and then majority whip.
Known as a champion of conservative values, the former Navy SEAL told the Sidney Daily News Monday he thinks the biggest issue facing the current legislature is Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget.
“There are always a lot of issues,” he said. “But (the top one is) addressing the explosion in spending. It’s a problem. When I was leaving (the House), the last budget I voted on, I voted ‘no.’ It had a 13 percent increase. This current budget is 17 percent (higher).”
Adams announcement could seem to be early, given that the general election is almost two years away. But, he noted, early voting in the primary election is less than 11 months away.
“It takes time to develop the team we need to make this a successful campaign,” he said. “We’re getting the best people we can get for the seven counties.”
The 12th District is all of Allen, Champaign, Mercer and Shelby counties and parts of Auglaize, Darke and Logan counties. Adams has begun to put an organization together to run a grassroots campaign. He foresees lots of knocking on doors between now and the primary election in early 2016.
“The biggest challenge will be getting our message to those who are voting. People know me in three counties. You’re picking up another four counties, and you have to get your name out there. We’re going to earn it the old-fashioned way — hard work,” he said.
To date, he is the only politician to have announced his candidacy for the open seat, but he expects some competition, possibly from former Rep. Matt Huffman, of Lima.
“I’m considering that,” Huffman said by phone Monday. “My plan that I’ve been working on is to get into all the counties that comprise the 12th District and talk with the government folks. We’ll make an announcement in April.”
Some conservative leaders have already endorsed Adams, who announced his candidacy in a release that touts his conservative record in the House:
“In 2011, Adams introduced the Founding Fathers Bill (HB167), which required educators to incorporate into their coursework, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Ohio Constitution. In 2014, Adams served the discharge petition to force the House to repeal Common Core when the bill had died in committee. He later earned the title of ‘Pro-Life MVP’ for his work on the Heartbeat Bill (HB248). Adams was the chairman of the Ohio delegation for the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council. He was named one of six, national Legislators of the Year for his bill to phase out the personal income tax. (Adams) was also recognized as one of 17 nation-wide by WATCHDOG.org for his leadership on conservative legislation,” the release said.
“It’s simple. I believe in common-sense government that lets families keep more of their hard-earned money, protecting unborn children, and energizing Ohio’s economic power by reducing spending deficits and burdensome regulations,” said Adams. “Ohio needs conservative leadership, now more than ever.”
