1 7 th ▁district . ▁ ▁He ▁retired ▁from ▁The ▁Dis patch ▁Print ing ▁Company , ▁the ▁publish er ▁of ▁The ▁Columb us ▁Dis patch . ▁He ▁first ▁joined ▁the ▁newspaper ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁as ▁a ▁rep orter . ▁He ▁began ▁covering ▁the ▁Ohio ▁legisl ature ▁as ▁a ▁rep orter ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁became ▁public ▁affairs ▁editor ▁and ▁man aging ▁editor ▁before ▁ret iring ▁as ▁associate ▁publish er ▁emer it us ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁He ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁district ▁when ▁he ▁noticed ▁that ▁a ▁red istrict ing ▁left ▁it ▁without ▁an ▁inc umb ent . ▁He ▁was ▁uno pp osed ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary . ▁In ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁he ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁Republican ▁Nicholas ▁A . ▁Sz ab o , ▁who ▁he ▁defeated ▁with ▁ 6 2 . 6 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁after ▁defe ating ▁Republican ▁Mike ▁New bern , ▁ 5 5 % ▁to ▁ 4 5 %. ▁ ▁Works ▁The ▁Ohio ▁Polit ics ▁Al man ac ▁( 1 9 9 6 ) ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Camp aign ▁website ▁ ▁Category : L iving ▁people ▁Category : M embers ▁of ▁the ▁Ohio ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁Category : Oh io ▁Democr ats ▁Category : Oh io ▁State ▁University ▁al umn i ▁Category : American ▁political ▁journal ists ▁Category : Year ▁of ▁birth ▁missing ▁( l iving ▁people