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Mary Lightbody
Mary Lightbody (Democratic Party) was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing District 4. She assumed office on January 1, 2023. She left office on January 9, 2024.
Lightbody (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 4. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Lightbody left office on January 9, 2024 to spend more time with her family.[1]
Biography
Mary Lightbody was born in Ohio and lives in Plain Township. Lightbody earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a doctorate in science education from The Ohio State University. Her career experience includes working as a teacher in K-12 education and at the collegiate level. Lightbody also served as a deacon at her church, as a member of the board of trustees of the Westerville Public Library, and in leadership positions with state and national science teachers’ professional associations.[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
Lightbody was assigned to the following committees:
- House Energy and Natural Resources Committee (decommissioned)
- Higher Education and Career Readiness Committee (decommissioned)
- House Primary and Secondary Education Committee (decommissioned)
- Technology and Innovation Committee, Ranking member
2019-2020
Lightbody was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture and Conservation Committee (decommissioned)
- Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
- Commerce, Labor, and Technology Committee
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
2024
Mary Lightbody did not file to run for re-election.
2022
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 4
Incumbent Mary Lightbody defeated Jill Rudler in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 4 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mary Lightbody (D) | 55.6 | 28,135 |
 | Jill Rudler (R) | 44.4 | 22,462 | |
| Total votes: 50,597 | |||
 = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 4
Incumbent Mary Lightbody advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 4 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Lightbody | 100.0 | 3,247 |
| Total votes: 3,247 | |||
| = 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 4
Jill Rudler advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 4 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jill Rudler | 100.0 | 1,956 |
| Total votes: 1,956 | |||
| = 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
- Paul Fillman (R)
Campaign finance
2020
See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 19
Incumbent Mary Lightbody defeated Meredith Freedhoff in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 19 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Lightbody (D) | 56.2 | 42,267 |
 | Meredith Freedhoff (R) | 43.8 | 32,950 | |
| Total votes: 75,217 | |||
| = 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 19
Incumbent Mary Lightbody advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 19 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Lightbody | 100.0 | 10,916 |
| Total votes: 10,916 | |||
| = 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 19
Meredith Freedhoff advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 19 on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Meredith Freedhoff | 100.0 | 4,591 |
| Total votes: 4,591 | |||
| = 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 19
Mary Lightbody defeated Tim Barhorst in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 19 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Lightbody (D) | 55.7 | 33,025 |
 | Tim Barhorst (R) | 44.3 | 26,293 | |
| Total votes: 59,318 | |||
| = 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 19
Mary Lightbody defeated Noni Banks in the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 19 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Lightbody | 55.9 | 3,939 |
| Noni Banks | 44.1 | 3,102 | ||
| Total votes: 7,041 | |||
| = 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 19
Tim Barhorst defeated Dave Ferguson and Chris Curry in the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 19 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tim Barhorst | 53.3 | 4,893 |
| Dave Ferguson | 39.5 | 3,621 | ||
| Chris Curry | 7.2 | 660 | ||
| Total votes: 9,174 | |||
| = 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 themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mary Lightbody did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Mary Lightbody did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Mary Lightbody participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 11, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Mary Lightbody's responses follow below.[3]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1.) My main priorities are to ensure equal access for all to quality education and vocational training, to attract well-paying jobs that offer advancement for hard-working Ohioans, and to be sure that quality and affordable health care are available to all. I am an educator who values hard work, has strong personal morals and ethics, and comes from a family whose motto is “Doing does it.” I believe that men and women who work hard should earn enough to support their families, send their children to good schools, have affordable health care, and be able to save for their retirements. Education is an important factor in a robust economy. More educated workers produce a bigger middle class, and a bigger middle class produces a demand for goods and services that has been shown to boost the economy. 2.) I will sponsor legislation that raises the minimum wage, ensures pay equity, fights discrimination, brings well-paying jobs to the area, and requires the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes Ohioans need the opportunity to secure well-paying jobs that offer opportunities for future advancement. To be competitive for business investment and jobs, Ohio must develop and attract job candidates with the knowledge, skills, and credentials that meet the needs of employers. There is a direct correlation between shifting state revenue away from the municipalities and schools and the steady decline in the quality of the schools and the services available to residents in the municipalities. Increasing state aid to the local governments can be achieved by eliminating tax breaks for the wealthy. This would restore state funding to the municipalities and to public education, could reduce the cost of college, and expand vocational training programs to make sure workers have the skills they need to get good jobs that pay well and offer benefits. |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | I married a guy from Tiffin OH whom I met at college. While Rick was enrolled in graduate school he learned during a routine physical that his kidneys were failing. We arranged to do Rick’s hemodialysis treatments at home, which meant that our three children grew up with their father hooked to a dialysis machine in the family room three nights a week for 13 years. Rick eventually got a kidney transplant but after 16 years, his immune system was no longer able to defend him from infections, and after a serious but brief illness and hospitalization in the fall of 2009 he died in his sleep.
When I emerged from the fog of my husband’s passing, I realized that one way for me to move past my grief would be to give back in a significant way. I want to find a way to use my family’s health care experience in a larger public service opportunity. All of the costs of Rick’s home hemodialysis, his two transplant surgeries, and the immune-suppressants he took to prevent his body from rejecting his transplant were paid for by Medicare. I have always been very grateful this was the case, as without federal support neither we nor our families could have been able to pay the costs, and my much-loved husband would have died at an even younger age. I teach full time at Ohio State Newark. I am a member of the Westerville Public Library Board of Trustees. I have been a deacon at The First Congregational church in Columbus. And now I am a candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives. That same “Doing does it.” spirit I learned from my family helped me all the years we managed Rick’s medical regimes, our family, and our work, and is surely going to help me now as I seek to move into a leadership position to represent Ohioans and to make a difference in our community and state. I feel very strongly that hard-working men and women need to have access to high quality and affordable health care, just as Rick and I had. Without such coverage, they are but one serious illness away from financial hard times or even the loss of their homes.Cite error: Invalid |
” |
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.
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2024
In 2024, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 2 to December 19. A special session on elections commenced on May 28, 2024, and ended on May 31.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to LGBTQ, civil rights, and racial justice issues.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 2 to December 31.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 19 to December 15.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 4 to December 31.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Yahoo News, "Westerville-area Democratic Rep. Mary Lightbody to resign," January 4, 2024
- ↑ The Ohio House of Representatives, "Mary Lightbody Biography," accessed March 12, 2023
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Mary Lightbody's responses," April 11, 2018
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bob Cupp (R) |
Ohio House of Representatives District 4 2023-2024 |
Succeeded by Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Ohio House of Representatives District 19 2019-2022 |
Succeeded by Phil Robinson (D) |
