Craig Riedel
{{Short description|American politician (born 1966)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Craig Riedel
|state_house = Ohio
|district = 82nd
|term_start = January 3, 2017
|term_end = December 31, 2022
|predecessor = Tony Burkley
|successor = Roy Klopfenstein
|birth_name = Craig Steven Riedel
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|5|23}}
|birth_place = Oberlin, Ohio, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|education = Ohio State University (BS)
}}
Craig Riedel (born May 23, 1966){{Cite web|url=https://new.gongwer-oh.com/directories/bio.cfm?nameid=194202&link=bio.cfm?nameid=194202|title=Gongwer News Service-Ohio}} is an American politician who served as the state representative for the 82nd District of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2017 to 2022. He is a Republican. The 82nd district consists of Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert counties as well as a portion of Auglaize County. Riedel is a candidate in the 2024 election for Ohio's 9th congressional district.{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Dave |title=Defiance County's Riedel joining 9th House race |url=https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2023/04/03/defiance-county-riedel-enters-9th-house-race/stories/20230402157 |access-date=14 April 2023 |work=The Blade |date=April 3, 2023 |language=en}}
Life and career
Riedel was born in Oberlin, Ohio, and raised in Attica, Ohio, on a family farm. He graduated from Seneca East High School, where he lettered in basketball.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024|reason=Source doesn't say he lettered in basketball, can't find a source that says he does.}} He then attended Ohio State University where he received a degree in civil engineering. He worked as an engineer for over twenty five years with Nucor Vulcraft Group, located in Defiance.
{{cite web
| title = Craig Riedel Announces his Candidacy for State Representatives - West Bend News
| date = 6 November 2015
| url = http://www.westbendnews.net/autonews/2015/11/06/craig-riedel-announces-his-candidacy-for-state-representatives/
| accessdate = 2017-01-18
}}
In 2015, Riedel retired, but continued to remain active in his community prior to being elected to public office. He is married with a son and a daughter and resides in Defiance, Ohio.
{{cite web
| title = Craig Riedel Announces His Candidacy for State Representative - Times Bulletin
| url = http://timesbulletin.com/Content/News/News/Article/Craig-Riedel-Announces-His-Candidacy-for-State-Representative/2/4/201431
| accessdate = 2017-01-18
}}
Ohio House of Representatives
In 2016, incumbent Republican state representative Tony Burkley was up for a third term, however Riedel decided to run against him for the Republican nomination. In the campaign, Riedel defeated Burkley, 53% to 47%, winning three of the four counties in the district.
{{cite web
| title = Our Campaigns - OH State House 82 - R Primary Race - Mar 15, 2016
| url = http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=812054
| accessdate = 2017-01-18
}}
Burkley was the only incumbent to lose that year.
{{cite web
| title = Riedel takes State House seat - Paulding County Progress
| url = http://www.progressnewspaper.org/Content/News/Local-Government/Article/Riedel-takes-State-House-seat/198/1185/193857
| accessdate = 2017-01-18
}}
Riedel was unopposed in the general election, and was sworn into office on January 3, 2017.
{{cite web
| title = New to office
| url = http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/news/local-news/2017/01/new-to-office/
| accessdate = 2017-01-18
}}
Congressional campaigns
{{see also|2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio#District 9|2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio#District 9}}
In 2022, Riedel ran for Ohio's 9th congressional district, but lost the Republican primary election to J.R. Majewski.{{cite news |last1=Brice |first1=Mike |title=Riedel raises funds, earns endorsements in bid to challenge Kaptur |url=https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2023/07/16/riedel-raises-funds-earns-endorsements-bid-challenge-kaptur/stories/20230716067 |access-date=27 December 2023 |url-access=subscription |work=The Toledo Blade |date=July 16, 2023}} Riedel made a second run for the seat in 2024, again facing Majewski in the primary. He earned the support of Republican congressional leaders, who hope Riedel would be a more viable candidate in a general election than Majewski, who lost in 2022 after lying about his military service. In December 2023, Trumpist activist Charlie Kirk released an audio recording of Riedel calling former President Donald Trump "arrogant," and further stating he wouldn't endorse Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Seeking to prevent further backlash from the pro-Trump wing of the Republican Party, Riedel hurriedly endorsed Trump.{{cite news |last1=Metzger |first1=Bryan |title=Ohio Republicans are coalescing behind one of the worst-performing candidates of the 2022 midterms — after his main GOP opponent trashed Trump |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-republicans-jr-majewski-craig-riedel-trump-vance-2023-12 |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Business Insider |date=December 13, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Mutnick |first1=Ally |last2=Beavers |first2=Olivia |title=House GOP reeling after a top recruit blasts Trump on tape |url=https://www.politico.com:443/news/2023/12/15/house-gop-trump-ohio-00131833 |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Politico |date=December 15, 2023}} Nevertheless, Congressmen Max Miller and Elise Stefanik, both Trump allies, rescinded their endorsements of Riedel.{{cite news |last1=Griffiths |first1=Brent D. |title=Elise Stefanik pulls endorsement from Ohio Republican who was caught on tape calling Trump 'arrogant' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/elise-stefanik-pulls-endorsement-ohio-republican-trump-arrogant-craig-riedel-2024-1 |access-date=5 January 2024 |work=Business Insider |date=January 4, 2024}} Reidel lost the primary to state representative Derek Merrin,{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Julie Carr |title=Trump favorites Moreno and Merrin win GOP primaries to face 2 vulnerable Ohio Democrats this fall |url=https://www.koin.com/news/politics/ap-high-profile-elections-in-ohio-could-give-republicans-a-chance-to-expand-clout-in-washington/ |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=KOIN-TV |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |date=March 20, 2024}} who had hurriedly entered the race at the behest of Republican leaders searching for another alternative to Reidel or Majewski.{{cite news |last1=Mutnick |first1=Ally |title=House Republicans land last-minute Ohio recruit for key House race |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/20/derek-merrin-ohio-00132746 |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=Politico |date=December 20, 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20230403194947/https://craigriedelforcongress.com/ Campaign website]}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riedel, Craig}}
Category:Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
Category:Ohio State University College of Engineering alumni
Category:People from Defiance, Ohio
Category:People from Seneca County, Ohio
Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly
Category:Candidates in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections