Larry Obhof

Life and career

Obhof was born on November 26, 1977 in Ashtabula, Ohio. He received a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Obhof is an attorney with the law firm Squire Patton Boggs LLP in Columbus, Ohio, where he practices complex civil litigation and appellate litigation. He has also taught as an adjunct law professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Obhof is married, has three children, and lives in Montville Township, Medina County, Ohio.

Ohio Senate

In early 2011, Obhof was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Ohio Senate created by Bob Gibbs’ 2010 election to the United States House of Representatives. Obhof was one of eleven who sought the appointment to fill out the remainder of Gibbs’ term. Obhof ran for a complete term for his seat in the 2012 general election, defeating James Riley with 60% of the vote. Obhof ran for re-election in 2016, defeating Janet Porter in the primary election with roughly 66% of the vote, and defeating Chris King in the general election with 70% of the vote.

As a member of the Ohio Senate, Obhof has sponsored and supported legislation on a wide range of issues including education, civil and criminal law, election administration, and taxation. Among other accomplishments, Obhof sponsored Senate Bill 165, known as the “Founding Documents Bill.” The bill requires the study of historically significant documents, including the primary texts of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, as part of Ohio students' history and government curricula. Obhof has also passed legislation to modernize Ohio’s elections system by using improved technologies such as electronic poll-books; to update Ohio’s tax code and save taxpayers millions of dollars by protecting their ability to claim certain credits or deductions; to cut the filing fee for starting a new business by 21%; and to give state law enforcement greater ability to investigate and prosecute money laundering.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has noted that Obhof is “instrumental in passing key bills” and that he stands out “for notching legislative victories.” According to local newspapers, he has earned “a reputation as a lawmaker with a willingness to work across party lines."

Obhof was selected by his colleagues to serve as Majority Whip for both the 130th General Assembly (2013-2014) and the 131st General Assembly (2015-2016). In early 2016, Obhof’s colleagues elected him to serve as President Pro Tempore - the Senate’s second-highest ranking position.

Following his landslide 2016 re-election, Obhof’s colleagues selected him to serve as Senate President, the presiding officer of the 33-member chamber. He is the youngest person to lead the Senate since the position of Senate President was created in 1979, and is the first Senate leader from Medina County since the 1860s. As the presiding officer of the 33-member Senate, Obhof is responsible for leading the Senate's Majority Caucus as it sets its policy agenda. He is also responsible for the formal organization of the chamber, including recognizing members in debate, preserving order and decorum, calling for votes and signing all acts.

During his time in the Senate, Obhof has received numerous honors or awards in recognition of his legislative efforts, including several “Legislator of the Year” awards. Among others, these include being named Watchdog of the Treasury by the United Conservatives of Ohio and a Friend of Agriculture by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. In 2014, Senator Obhof was named Legislator of the Year by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. Obhof was named Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business (in 2013) and received the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Ohio Society of CPAs (in 2015) in recognition of his efforts to improve Ohio’s economy.

Obhof received the annual “Freedom Award” from the Ohio Christian Alliance in 2012, and he was named “Friend of the Family” by the Christian Coalition in 2016. On multiple occasions, Obhof was named a “Defender of Liberty” by the American Conservative Union for earning a perfect score in the organization’s state legislative rankings.

In June 2013, Obhof was named by GOPAC as one of the Republican Party’s top-20 “emerging leaders.”