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Craig Riedel
Craig Riedel (Republican Party) is running for election to the Ohio State Senate to represent District 1. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on May 5, 2026.[source]
Riedel (Republican Party) was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing District 82. He assumed office on January 1, 2017. He left office on December 31, 2022.
Biography
Riedel graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the Ohio State University in 1988. After graduation, he worked as a design engineer and sales manager at Nucor Valcraft Group, a steel company, until his retirement in 2015.[1][2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Riedel was assigned to the following committees:
- Economic and Workforce Development Committee (decommissioned)
- House Energy and Natural Resources Committee (decommissioned)
- House Ways and Means Committee, Vice chair
2019-2020
Riedel was assigned to the following committees:
- Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, Vice chair
- Commerce, Labor, and Technology Committee
- Economic and Workforce Development Committee (decommissioned)
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Ohio committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security |
| • Higher Education and Workforce Development |
| • Ways and Means |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2026
See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on May 5, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 1
James Hoops and Craig Riedel are running in the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 1 on May 5, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | James Hoops | |
 | Craig Riedel | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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2024
See also: Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2024
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur defeated Derek Merrin and Tom Pruss in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Marcy Kaptur (D) | 48.3 | 181,098 |
 | Derek Merrin (R) | 47.6 | 178,716 | |
 | Tom Pruss (L) | 4.1 | 15,381 | |
| Total votes: 375,195 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marcy Kaptur | 100.0 | 38,398 |
| Total votes: 38,398 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Derek Merrin defeated Craig Riedel and Steve Lankenau in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derek Merrin | 52.5 | 27,632 |
| Craig Riedel | 34.3 | 18,072 | |
| Steve Lankenau | 13.2 | 6,946 | ||
| Total votes: 52,650 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Terry Smith (R)
- Daniel Wilczynski (R)
- J.R. Majewski (R) (Unofficially withdrew)
Endorsements
Riedel received the following endorsements.
Pledges
Riedel signed the following pledges.
2022
See also: Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur defeated J.R. Majewski in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marcy Kaptur (D) | 56.6 | 150,655 |
 | J.R. Majewski (R) | 43.4 | 115,362 | |
| Total votes: 266,017 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Youseff Baddar (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marcy Kaptur | 100.0 | 32,968 |
| Total votes: 32,968 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
J.R. Majewski defeated Craig Riedel, Theresa Gavarone, and Beth Deck in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | J.R. Majewski | 35.7 | 21,666 |
| Craig Riedel | 31.0 | 18,861 | |
 | Theresa Gavarone | 28.5 | 17,337 | |
| Beth Deck | 4.7 | 2,883 | ||
| Total votes: 60,747 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 82
Incumbent Craig Riedel defeated Elecia Wobler in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 82 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Riedel (R) | 96.9 | 45,059 |
| Elecia Wobler (Independent) (Write-in) | 3.1 | 1,462 | ||
| Total votes: 46,521 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 82
Incumbent Craig Riedel advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 82 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Riedel | 100.0 | 10,984 |
| Total votes: 10,984 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 82
Incumbent Craig Riedel defeated Aden Baker in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 82 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Riedel (R) | 73.5 | 29,519 |
 | Aden Baker (D) | 26.5 | 10,622 | |
| Total votes: 40,141 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 82
Aden Baker advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 82 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Aden Baker | 100.0 | 2,440 |
| Total votes: 2,440 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 82
Incumbent Craig Riedel advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 82 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Riedel | 100.0 | 8,859 |
| Total votes: 8,859 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015.
Craig Riedel ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 82 general election.[3]
| Ohio House of Representatives, District 82 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican |  Craig Riedel (unopposed) | |
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State | ||
Craig Riedel defeated incumbent Tony Burkley in the Ohio House of Representatives District 82 Republican primary.[4][5]
| Ohio House of Representatives District 82, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Craig Riedel |
53.10% | 11,977 | |
| Republican | Tony Burkley Incumbent | 46.90% | 10,578 | |
| Total Votes | 22,555 | |||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2024
Craig Riedel did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Craig Riedel did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Craig Riedel did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Riedel's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Jobs & The Economy: I have 27 years of private sector experience. Politicians understand politics. I understand business. I want to bring my business experience to Columbus and help turn this economy around. We need to start by bringing quality jobs back to Ohio. I am tired of seeing businesses choose neighboring states over us. I want to push back on government overreach, lower taxes and create incentives for companies to come to Ohio. This will make us a more appealing state to the businesses that are looking to relocate. It will also help us retain the jobs that are still here. We need to ensure that we keep people working, and bring in new jobs for those who need them. I want the families in the 82nd House District to have the same opportunities that I had. Taxes and Spending: The more Columbus spends, the more they will tax. My constituents will know that I will always fight wasteful spending, because I know who will end up paying for it. I am fed up with politicians taking our hard earned money and spending it so carelessly. The citizens of Ohio’s 82nd House District work hard, and I will work even harder to make sure that they get to keep more of their paychecks. Education: Common Core has failed our students and teachers. I believe that our local school administrators know what is best for our students, not the federal government. I will fight to empower our teachers and administrators and help our students get the education they deserve. Conservative Family Values: Stronger families make for a stronger nation. We need to start promoting conservative family values. We need to keep faith in our society, and protect religious freedom. I am unequivocally Pro-Life and believe that Human life must be protected from the moment it begins. 2nd Amendment: I am tired of the liberal left infringing upon our rights. As a gun owner, I am a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. We have the right to protect our families, and I will make sure that no one in Columbus takes that right away from us.[6] |
” |
| —Craig Riedel[7] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Ohio scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2022
In 2022, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 19 to December 15.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to LGBTQ, civil rights, and racial justice issues.
- Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2021, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 4 to December 31.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2020, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 6 to December 31.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2019, the Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 through December 31.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2018, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31.
|
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2017, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2016, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31.
|
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Craig Riedel's 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed March 8, 2022
- ↑ VoteSmart, "Craig Riedel's Biography," accessed March 8, 2022
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Official election results," accessed December 21, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed February 8, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "2016 Official Elections Results," accessed August 29, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Citizens to Elect Craig Riedel, "Issues," accessed March 7, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Ohio House of Representatives District 82 2017-2022 |
Succeeded by Roy Klopfenstein (R) |
