Rex Damschroder

Damschroder has owned several small business throughout the community, and is a licensed realtor. He has served on Fremont City Council and at Terra Community College on the board of trustees. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and Tiffin University.

Damschroder is the son of Gene Damschroder, who held the same House seat from 1973 to 1983.{{cite news |last=Troy |first=Tom |title=Damschroder enters fray; former politician tries to reclaim District 81 seat |url=http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/NEWS09/801210329 |work=The Blade |date=January 21, 2008 |access-date=2008-07-28}}

Damschroder was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1994, representing the 89th district, which included parts of Sandusky County and Seneca Counties. He served from 1995 to 2003, when he was required to step down due to term limits.{{cite news |title=STATE HOUSE |work=Dayton Daily News |date=November 10, 1994 |pages=7A |quote=District 89. Rex Damschroder (R); beat incumbent Dwight C. Wise Jr.}}{{cite news |title=NATIONAL ROUNDUP |work=The Miami Herald |date=April 1, 2002 |pages=10A}}

In 2002, Damschroder unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Congressman Paul Gillmor in the 5th congressional district Republican primary.{{cite news |title=Campaign 2004: U.S. House - District 5 |url=http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/CandidateProfile.aspx?ci=1378&oi=H |publisher=USA Today |access-date=2008-07-28 | date=April 16, 2004}} After that, he remained out of the political realm for eight years.

However, with successor Jeff Wagner termed out in 2010, Damschroder made a comeback. He faced primary opposition from Merrill Keiser and Holly Stacy, but won the nomination with 59.88% of the vote.Brunner, Jennifer [http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2010results/20100504OHrep-R.aspx 2010 primary election results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227142028/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2010results/20100504OHrep-R.aspx |date=2010-12-27 }} (2010-05-04) In the general election, Democrats placed high hopes on Seneca County, Ohio Commissioner Ben Nutter, but Damschroder defeated him with 55.31% of the vote.Brunner, Jennifer [http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2010results/20101102ohouse.aspx 2010 general election results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627172201/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2010results/20101102ohouse.aspx |date=2011-06-27 }} (2010-11-02)

Damschroder was sworn in for his fifth term on January 3, 2011.{{Cite web|title=Ohio GOP to replace Gillmor in Senate|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2011/06/21/Ohio-GOP-to-start-search-to-replace-Gillmor-in-Senate/stories/201106210062|access-date=2020-10-28|website=The Blade|language=en}} He is serving on the committees of Agriculture and Natural Resources, State Government and Elections, and Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security (as vice chair).

In late March 2011, Damschroder suffered from a heart attack and received triple bypass heart surgery two days later.{{cite news | title = Damschroder to undergo bypass surgery after suffering heart attack | date = 2011-03-23 | url = http://toledoblade.com/news/2011/03/22/Damschroder-to-undergo-bypass-surgery-after-suffering-heart-attack.html | work = The Blade | access-date = 2011-03-23}}

With Senator Karen Gillmor resigning her seat, Damschroder had been named as a possible successor.{{cite news | first = Jim | last = Provance | title = Ohio GOP to start search to replace Gillmor in Senate | date = 2011-06-21 | url = http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2011/06/21/Ohio-GOP-to-start-search-to-replace-Gillmor-in-Senate.html | work = The Blade | access-date = 2011-06-24}} However, it was announced later that he would not seek the appointment.{{cite news | first = Jim | last = Provance | title = 10 men apply to replace Gillmor in Ohio Senate | date = 2011-07-04 | url = http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2011/07/02/10-men-apply-to-replace-Gillmor-in-Ohio-Senate.html | work = The Blade | access-date = 2011-07-05}}

Damschroder ran for reelection in 2012, facing opposition from Democratic nominee Bill Young. Damschroder defeated Young by 55.6% to 44.4%, winning reelection.{{cite news | title = 2012 Election Results | url = http://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/Research/electResultsMain/2012Results.aspx | work = Ohio Secretary of State | access-date = 2014-02-22}}

On February 13, 2014, Damschroder announced he was withdrawing his re-election bid after the Board of Elections Director announced that his name would not appear on the ballot because he forgot to sign his Declaration of Candidacy form, a legal document, that without the candidate's signature caused his candidacy to be invalid. No other candidate filed for the race, and Damschroder said he was looking at all his options to get back on the ballot, including running as a write-in candidate.{{cite news | first = Kristina | last = Smith | title = Damschroder out of race, for now | date = 2014-02-13 | url = http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20140213/NEWS01/302130007/Damschroder-out-state-rep-race-now | work = Fremont News-Messenger | access-date = 2014-02-13}} His wife, Rhonda, ran as a placeholder candidate in the Republican primary, facing opposition from Bill Reineke, Jr., a local businessman, and Dr. Richard A. Geyer, a university professor and Ballville Township trustee. If Rhonda won the primary election, Justin Smith, Chairman of the Sandusky County Central Committee, and David Koehl, Chairman of the Seneca County Central Committee, along with their two secretaries, would appoint Rex to replace his wife as the Republican candidate in the general election.{{cite news | first = Jim | last = Provance | title = Rex Damschroder's wife to run for his seat, then he might replace her | date = 2014-02-20 | url = https://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2014/02/20/Rex-Damschroder-s-wife-to-run-for-his-seat-then-he-might-replace-her.html | work = The Blade | access-date = 2014-02-22}}

Damschroder lost the primary election to Bill Reineke.{{cite news | first = Daniel | last = Carson | title = Damschroder loses House seat after wife's campaign fails | date = May 7, 2014 | url = http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20140506/NEWS01/305060030/Write-ins-waiting-final-word-House-District-88-race | work = The News-Messenger | access-date = May 7, 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140507215027/http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20140506/NEWS01/305060030/Write-ins-waiting-final-word-House-District-88-race | archive-date = May 7, 2014 }}

;Social issues

Damschroder has proposed legislation that would ban reading or writing on any digital device while driving. It passed the House almost unanimously.{{cite news | first = Ben | last = Geier | title = Ohio House would ban texting while driving | date = 2011-06-29 | url = http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/28/29texting.html?sid=101 | work = Columbus Dispatch | access-date = 2011-06-29}} He has rejected the notion that it takes away from personal freedoms.

With the Ohio Statehouse adding a full-service bar to their existing restaurant, Damschroder came out in opposition of serving alcohol at the Statehouse.{{cite news | first = Ben | last = Geier | title = To be clear: Statehouse 'bar' won't be 'Cheers' | date = 2011-07-21 | url = http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/07/21/to-be-clear-statehouse-bar-wont-be-cheers.html?sid=101 | work = Columbus Dispatch | access-date = 2011-07-21}}

Damschroder is currently working to prevent high voltage power lines from being erected through a nature preserve known as Peninsular Farms in Fremont, Ohio.{{Cite web|last=Patch|first=David|date=18 February 2013|title=Conservationists decry power plans|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2013/02/17/Local-conservationists-decry-planned-siting-of-power-lines/stories/20130217149|access-date=2020-10-28|website=The Blade|language=en}}

* Rhonda Damschroder ran as a placeholder for Rex.

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Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives

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

Category:People from Fremont, Ohio

Category:1950 births

Category:Tiffin University alumni

Category:Bowling Green State University alumni