2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁A ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Mount ▁Union ▁College , ▁O els l ager ▁formerly ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁a ide ▁for ▁his ▁prede cess or , ▁Tom ▁Wal sh . ▁When ▁Wal sh ▁res igned ▁his ▁seat , ▁O els l ager ▁was ▁first ▁appointed ▁to ▁replace ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁and ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁with ▁ 5 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁Following ▁that ▁election , ▁O els l ager ▁was ▁elected ▁three ▁more ▁times . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁O es l ager ▁faced ▁term - limits ▁and ▁instead ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Ohio ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁for ▁the ▁ 5 1 st ▁district , ▁and ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁O els l ager ▁was ▁uno pp osed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁He ▁again ▁was ▁term - limited ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁Return ▁to ▁the ▁Ohio ▁Senate ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁O els l ager ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁his ▁old ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁Ohio ▁Senate , ▁sw apping ▁seats ▁with ▁Kirk ▁Sch uring , ▁who ▁preced ed ▁O els l ager ▁in ▁the ▁House . ▁O els l ager ▁defeated ▁his ▁oppon ent ,