Barbara Sears
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix=
|name = Barbara Sears
|honorific-suffix=
|image = Barbara Sears 2017-03-03.jpg
|alt =
|state_house = Ohio
|district = 47th
|term_start = January 15, 2008
|term_end = June 29, 2016
|predecessor = Mark Wagoner
|successor = Derek Merrin
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|04|29}}
|birth_place = Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates=
|birthname =
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party = Republican
|otherparty =
|spouse =
|partner =
|relations =
|children =
|residence = Monclova Township, Ohio, U.S.
|alma_mater = University of Toledo
|occupation = Legislator
|profession =
|cabinet =
|committees =
|portfolio =
|signature =
|signature_alt=
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
Barbara R. Sears (born December 5, 1966) is a Republican politician who formerly represented the 47th District of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016. She served as the Majority Floor Leader in the Ohio House of Representatives. Her district included much of suburban Toledo, Ohio.
Life and career
Sears graduated from the University of Toledo in 1983.{{cite web|url=http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&task=detail&district=46 |title=Barbara R. Sears, Assistant Majority Floor Leader State Representative (R) |work=Member Details |publisher=Ohio House of Representatives |accessdate=20 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517175845/http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&task=detail&district=46 |archivedate=17 May 2012 }}
She served on the city council of Sylvania, Ohio from 1998 to 2008, serving as president of the council from 2004 to 2008. She is a co-owner of Noble and Sears, Inc.
Currently, she lives in Monclova Township, Ohio. She has two sons.
Ohio House of Representatives
In 2008, Sears was appointed to the Ohio House to succeed Mark Wagoner, who had resigned to serve in the Ohio Senate. She won reelection in 2008 and 2010.[http://www.ohiochamber.com/dococc/SYSTEM-PoliticalEducationCenter/-%20pdfs/2012PrimaryFiling.pdf Ohio Chamber of Commerce, "2012 General Assembly Primary Candidates," January 17, 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122010241/http://www.ohiochamber.com/dococc/SYSTEM-PoliticalEducationCenter/-%20pdfs/2012PrimaryFiling.pdf |date=January 22, 2012 }}
In 2012, Sears won election to a third term, defeating Democrat Jeff Bunck with 60.18% of the vote.{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/102401/barbara-sears |title= Representative Barbara R. Sears's Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |accessdate= July 21, 2012}} Sears came under fire from ultra-conservatives in 2014 for her outspoken support for Medicaid expansion, which many saw as a facet of Obamacare. Regardless, she easily won a primary for her seat to take another term in 2014.{{cite news |url=https://www.toledoblade.com/State/2015/01/13/Kasich-Compassion-trumps-ideology.html |title=Kasich: Compassion trumps ideology |work=Toledo Blade |location=Toledo, Ohio |date=2014-01-13 |accessdate=2015-01-13 }}
Sears won a final term in 2014 unopposed and served as House Majority Leader for half of the 131st Ohio General Assembly. She resigned prior to the expiration of her term in 2016 to the assistant director of the Governor's Office of Health Transformation for Ohio Governor John Kasich.{{cite news |url=http://www.13abc.com/content/news/Rep-Barbara-Sears-to-leave-Ohio-House-382247171.html |title=Rep. Barbara Sears to leave Ohio House |work=ABC 13 |location=Toledo, Ohio |date=2016-06-08 |accessdate=2016-06-30 }} On December 23, 2016, she was {{cite news |url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2016/12/23122016-sears.html |title=Barbara Sears sworn in as new Ohio Medicaid director |work=Columbus dispatch |location=Columbus, Ohio |date=2016-12-27 |accessdate=2016-12-27 }} sworn in as Ohio's new Medicaid director.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20171004120800/http://www.barbarasears.com/ Campaign website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sears, Barbara}}
Category:Politicians from Youngstown, Ohio
Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly
Category:People from Sylvania, Ohio
Category:University of Toledo alumni
Category:Women state legislators in Ohio