Jay Hottinger

Hottinger attended Newark High School and has a degree in political science and public administration from Capital University. He is married with three daughters.{{cite news|url=http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/2008/10/02/0921ji71candprofile2_ln.html|title=71st Ohio House district: Incumbent Hottinger outlines goals, achievements|last=Kuhlman|first=Marla K.|date=25 October 2008|work=ThisWeek|access-date=26 November 2012}}{{Cite web|last=Baker|first=Jon|title=Jay Hottinger, Melinda Miller seek 31st Senate District post|url=https://www.timesreporter.com/news/20181027/jay-hottinger-melinda-miller-seek-31st-senate-district-post|access-date=2020-10-22|website=Times Reporter|language=en}}

His professional experience includes working as an office manager for Jay Company and an electrical contractor. Hottinger was a member of the Newark City Council from 1992 to 1994 and served as its President Pro Tempore in 1994.{{cite news|url=http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/columbus14/race-detail.do?id=13523303 |title=Ohio Senate, District 31 |work=Columbus Dispatch |location=Columbus |date=2014 |access-date=2014-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231021428/http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/columbus14/race-detail.do?id=13523303 |archive-date=2014-12-31 }}

In 1994, Hottinger made his first run for the Ohio House of Representatives. He was only 25 years old, but had already served on the Newark City Council for three years. He went on to defeat his challenger to succeed Marc Guthrie. He would win re-election in 1996.{{cite news |url=http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2014/10/28/hottinger-carlisle-differ-term-limits-economy/18087801/ |title=Hottinger, Carlisle differ on term limits, economy |work=Newark Advocate |location=Newark |date=2014-10-29 |access-date=2014-12-31 }}

When Senator Nancy Dix resigned from the Senate in 1998, creating a vacancy in the 31st Senate District, Senate Republicans chose Hottinger to replace her. With the seat up for re-election in 1998, Hottinger faced former Senator Eugene Branstool, who had been defeated by Dix a few years prior. However, he went on to defeat Branstool with 58.85% of the vote. He ran unopposed for re-election in 2002.

Later on in his Senate tenure, Hottinger served as assistant majority whip, as well as chairman of the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee. He has been an outspoken critic of Medicaid expansion in Ohio.{{cite news |url=http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/news/local/in-depth/2015/01/10/medicaid-taxes-dominate-ohio/21511877/ |title=Medicaid, taxes to dominate 2015 in Ohio |work=Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum |location=Bucyrus, Ohio |date=2015-01-11 |access-date=2015-01-11 }}

In 2005, Hottinger announced that he would seek his former House seat. Soon after, Hottinger was also mentioned as a potential running mate to gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell, who chose Rep. Tom Raga instead, however. Unopposed in the primary, he faced Democrat Thomas Holliday in the general election, and won with 61.83% of the vote. In his first term back into the House, Speaker of the House Jon Husted appointed Hottinger as chairman of the House Finance Committee.

Hottinger was reelected in 2008 against Democrat Howard Hill with 62% of the vote. In 2010, he won a third term in the House with 69.31% of the vote against Democrat Nathan McMann. He won a final House term in 2012 with 61% over Democrat Brady Jones.

Hottinger was term-limited in 2014, as was his predecessor in the 31st district of the Ohio Senate, Tim Schaffer. As a result, Hottinger announced he would run again for his former Senate seat.{{cite news |url=http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2014/12/23/commissioners-tap-fee-interim-treasurer/20821017/ |title=Commissioners tap Fee as interim treasurer |work=Newark Advocate |location=Newark |date=2014-11-23 |access-date=2014-12-31 }}

While his former district was also the 31st, the new 31st is entirely different following redistricting. Prior to 2012, the 31st included Fairfield, Licking, Perry, Hocking and parts of Pickaway counties. After, it includes Licking, Perry, Coshocton, Tuscarawas and parts of Holmes counties. As a result, the majority of the district Hottinger ran in for the 2014 election was different. Despite all of this, Hottinger won election to the Senate 65% to 35%.{{cite news |url=http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/11/04/licking-county-ohio-statehouse-elections/18484053/ |title=Republicans Hottinger, Ryan, Hayes win state races |work=Newark Advocate |location=Newark |date=2014-11-05 |access-date=2014-12-31 }} For the 131st Ohio General Assembly, Hottinger has been named as chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee.

• Committee on Insurance (Chair)
• Committee on State & Local Government (Vice Chair)
• Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
• Finance Subcommittee on Workforce
• Committee on Financial Institutions
• Committee on Health & Human Services
• Committee on Transportation, Commerce & Labor

In 2018, Hottinger defeated Melinda Miller in the general election for the 31st district.{{Cite web|last=Mallett|first=Kent|title=Hottinger keeps winning streak going in Ohio 31st Senate race|url=https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/2018/11/07/hottinger-faces-newcomer-ohio-31st-senate-race/1909305002/|access-date=2020-10-22|website=The Advocate|language=en-US}}

In 2019, Hackett co-sponsored Ohio Senate Bill 23, also known as the "Heartbeat Bill." The legislation bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detectable—typically around six weeks into pregnancy—and does not include exceptions for rape or incest. Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill into law on April 11, 2019.{{Cite web |last=Ingber |first=Sasha |date=2019-04-11 |title=A Bill Banning Most Abortions Becomes Law In Ohio |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/11/712455980/a-bill-banning-most-abortions-becomes-law-in-ohio |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=NPR}}

Hackett’s support for the bill was consistent with his broader legislative record supporting abortion restrictions. SB 23 became a focal point of national debate and faced immediate legal challenges upon passage.{{Cite web |title=Ohio Senate Bill 23 - 2019 |url=https://legiscan.com/OH/bill/SB23/2019 |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=LegiScan}}

In 2022, a Hamilton County judge issued a temporary restraining order halting enforcement of the bill, restoring legal abortion access in Ohio up to 22 weeks of pregnancy while litigation proceeded.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-14 |title=Ohio Lower Court Blocks Six-Week Abortion Ban, Restoring Reproductive Rights Across State |url=https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/ohio-lower-court-blocks-six-week-abortion-ban-restoring-reproductive-rights-across |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=ACLU}}

On April 23, 2016, Laura Bischoff of The Dayton Daily News reported that Hottinger posted a racist joke on Instagram, which he later retracted. The joke, disparaging Asian Americans, was condemned by both Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper and Kathy Chen, executive director of Asian American Community Services. Initially, Hottinger told an interviewer that there was nothing problematic about the joke, but he later recanted, stating, "It was inappropriate of me to put it up so I took it down and apologized."{{Cite web|url=http://www.wpxi.com/news/ohio-lawmaker-pulls-racist-joke-from-instragram/237884315|title=Ohio lawmaker pulls racist joke from Instragram|last=EndPlay|website=WPXI|language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-23}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.ohiosenate.gov/hottinger official Senate site]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141231052148/http://www.jayhottinger.com/ Jay Hottinger For Senate - OH]
• [https://www.ohiosenategop.com/profile/jay-hottinger Jay Hottinger - RSCC]

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Category:1969 births

Category:Capital University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives

Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly

Category:Republican Party Ohio state senators