Robert McColley

Robert McColley

Republican Party

Candidate, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Ohio State Senate District 1

Tenure

2017 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

8

Prior offices:

Ohio House of Representatives District 81

Years in office: 2015 - 2017

Compensation

Base salary

$72,343/year

Per diem

No per diem is paid during session.

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Next election

May 5, 2026

Contact

Official website

Official X

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Robert McColley (Republican Party) is a member of the Ohio State Senate, representing District 1. He assumed office on December 5, 2017. His current term ends on December 31, 2026.

On January 6, 2026, Vivek Ramaswamy (R) selected McColley as his running mate in the 2026 gubernatorial election. Ramaswamy said in a statement: "I’m an entrepreneur, not a politician, and selected Rob to be a governing partner who can help advance our ambitious legislative agenda. Rob is a proven conservative leader, and he is committed to my vision to make the American Dream a reality for every Ohioan."

On January 6, 2024, the Ohio State Senate voted McColley president of the senate. He graduated from Ohio State University in 2007 with a bachelor's in business administration. He then attended the University of Toledo College of Law, graduating with his J.D. in 2010.

McColley worked as an attorney after graduating law school, before joining the Henry County Community Improvement Corporation as an economic development director in 2014. McColley got his start in politics when he ran to represent District 81 in the Ohio House of Representatives. He defeated Democrat John Lymanstall 73-27% in the general election. McColley ran unopposed in 2016.

In 2017, Senate Republicans voted to appoint McColley to represent District 1, filling the vacancy that resulted when Cliff Hite resigned. McColley said, "I will continue to focus on issues that protect individual liberties, promote economic growth and that reflect the conservative values of the 1st Senate District." McColley ran for re-election in 2018, defeating Adam Papin (D) 73-27%. McColley ran unopposed in 2022.

When he was elected Senate president, McColley said he would focus on tax reform, deregulation, and school choice. In 2025, McColley backed and helped pass Senate Bill 1, which prohibits public universities in the state from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and regulates classroom discussions around topics like climate change, abortion, and immigration policy. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed the bill on March 28, 2025. McColley said, "Education is the mission of our public universities and Ohio’s new law is a watershed moment at ensuring intellectual diversity on campus."

In 2019, McColley co-sponsored Senate Bill 23, which prohibited abortion after the detection of a heartbeat. Gov. DeWine (R) signed SB 23 on April 11, 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic, McColley co-sponsored Senate Bill 311, which would have repealed the state's stay-at-home order and limited Ohio Department of Health's authority to quarantine and isolate people. DeWine vetoed the bill on December 4, 2020.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

McColley was assigned to the following committees:

• Energy and Public Utilities Committee, Vice Chair
• General Government Committee
• Government Oversight Committee
• Senate Judiciary Committee
• Senate Rules and Reference Committee
• Joint Legislative Ethics Committee
• Legislative Service Commission Committee

2021-2022

McColley was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Legislative Ethics Committee
• Legislative Service Commission Committee
• Energy and Public Utilities Committee
• Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Vice chair
• Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice chair
• Senate Rules and Reference Committee
• Workforce and Higher Education Committee

2019-2020

McColley was assigned to the following committees:

• Agriculture Committee
• Senate Finance Committee
• Senate Judiciary Committee
• Government Oversight and Reform Committee
• Transportation, Commerce, and Workforce Committee, Chair
• Energy and Public Utilities Committee, Vice chair
• Workforce and Higher Education Committee

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Ohio committee assignments, 2017
• Civil Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Finance
• Government Accountability and Oversight
• Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, McColley served on the following committees:

Ohio committee assignments, 2015
• Government Accountability and Oversight
• Judiciary
• Ways and Means

Elections

2026

See also: Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 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.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

David Pepper (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
		David Pepper

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Republican primary

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Kim Georgeton (R), Robert McColley (R), Stuart Moats (R), and Jalen Turner (R) are running in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
		Kim Georgeton
		Robert McColley
	Submit photo	Stuart Moats
	Submit photo	Jalen Turner

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Libertarian Party primary

Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

James Mills (L) is running in the Libertarian Party primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	James Mills

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Ohio State Senate District 1

Incumbent Robert McColley won election in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert McColley (R)	100.0	104,274

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 104,274
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 1

Incumbent Robert McColley advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 1 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert McColley	100.0	11,523

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,523
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Ohio State Senate District 1

Incumbent Robert McColley defeated Adam Papin in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert McColley (R)	73.3	89,810
		Adam Papin (D)	26.7	32,765

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 122,575
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 1

Adam Papin advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 1 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Papin	100.0	7,150

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 7,150
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 1

Incumbent Robert McColley defeated Craig Kupferberg and Bob Barker Jr. in the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 1 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert McColley	61.5	19,279
		Craig Kupferberg	19.5	6,104
		Bob Barker Jr.	19.0	5,959

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 31,342
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 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.

Incumbent Robert McColley ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 81 general election.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 81 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Robert McColley Incumbent (unopposed)
Source: Ohio Secretary of State

Incumbent Robert McColley ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 81 Republican primary.

Ohio House of Representatives District 81, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Robert McColley Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	19,807
Total Votes				19,807

2014

See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 5, 2014. John Lymanstall was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Robert McColley defeated Jason Rockey in the Republican primary. McColley defeated Lymanstall in the general election.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 81 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Robert McColley	73%	21,856
	Democratic	John Lymanstall	27%	8,077
Total Votes				29,933

Ohio House of Representatives, District 81 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Robert McColley	61.7%	6,104
Jason Rockey	38.3%	3,784
Total Votes		9,888

Endorsements

In 2014, McColley's endorsements included the following:

• State Representative Lynn Wachtmann
• Ohio Right to Life PAC
• NFIB/Ohio SAFE Trust
• Northern Ohio Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors PAC
• Henry County Republican Party
• Henry County Commissioners Bob Hastedt, Glenn Miller, and Tom Von Deylen
• Fulton County Commissioners Perry Rupp and Bill Rufenacht
• Henry County Auditor Kevin Garringer
• Henry County Prosecutor Jay Hanna
• Hamler Mayor Jeff Brubaker

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2022

Robert McColley did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2014

McColley's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Lowering Taxes

• Excerpt: "I firmly believe that the citizens of Ohio know how to spend their money better than the State itself."

Honoring Human Life

• Excerpt: "Life is a gift from God that begins at conception."

Self Defense

• Excerpt: "Therefore, any law-abiding citizen should be able to own any handgun, shotgun, rifle, or any firearm that is necessary or suitable for self-defense or recreation."

Workplace Freedom

• Excerpt: "Additionally, becoming a Right to Work state will allow Ohio to remain economically competitive with other states. This is particularly true for Northwest Ohio, because Michigan and Indiana are already Right to Work states."

Workforce Development

• Excerpt: "Every student learns differently, and measures should be taken at the state level to develop hands on learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs to not only supply the workforce shortage, but to provide Ohioans with a brighter future."

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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Robert McColley campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Ohio State Senate District 1	Won general	$1,178,883	$827,055
2018	Ohio State Senate District 1	Won general	$457,698	N/A**
2016	Ohio House of Representatives, District 81	Won	$232,138	N/A**
2014	Ohio State House, District 81	Won	$107,321	N/A**
Grand total			$1,976,039	$827,055
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Ohio

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.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].
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. Equality Ohio 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].
In 2023, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 2 to December 31. Ohio Environmental Council Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 19 to December 15. Equality Ohio Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to LGBTQ, civil rights, and racial justice issues. Innovation Ohio Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The Institute for Legislative Analysis 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. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. Ohio Environmental Council Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 6 to December 31. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Innovation Ohio Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. Ohio Environmental Council Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].
In 2019, the Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 through December 31. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].
In 2018, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31. Innovation Ohio Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].
In 2017, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].
In 2016, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce: 2015-2016 scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].
In 2015, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce: 2015-2016 scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Ohio State Senate District 1 2017-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Ohio House of Representatives District 81 2015-2017	Succeeded by -

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