Last week, I wrote for the Wall Street Journal about how Republicans in Ohio’s house of representatives experienced their own drama over who would be speaker at about the same time Kevin McCarthy was struggling to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Short version: After winning a supermajority in elections last year, Ohio house Republicans chose Derek Merrin as speaker. But earlier this year, Jason Stephens, another Republican representative, outmaneuvered Merrin and ascended to the speakership with the votes of a minority of Republicans in the chamber but the support of all of its remaining Democrats. This has led to suspicion among some pro-Merrin Republicans that some kind of deal was made.
Although Stephens has become speaker, the Merrin faction remains restive; Merrin has taken to calling himself the “leader of the House Republicans,” and still commands the support of a majority of Republicans in the Ohio house. As a result, he and his allies continue to cause headaches for Stephens. Cleveland.com reports:
On Tuesday, the fight came to the House chamber for the first time as members prepared to take what are typically pro forma votes on rules.
House rules – which, among other things, lay out the speaker’s power – and caucus leadership posts are usually uncontroversial and pass easily at the beginning of each session. However, the two issues became a flashpoint, as Stephens didn’t recognize shouts by Merrin Republicans to be recognized to propose amendments.
The House approved Stephens’ rules package by a 63-35 vote. The “yes” votes came from 31 Republicans, including eight who previously backed Merrin for speaker, and all 32 Democrats. Thirty-five Republicans voted “no,” which could serve as a measure going forward of the ongoing influence Merrin will have within the Republican caucus.
Merrin and allied Republicans had hoped to weaken the power of the speaker and implement other changes that would have benefited them. For now, it seems they remain willing to be a thorn in Stephens’s side. Merrin himself told me last week that he promised not to “stand by and let a progressive agenda be marched through the Ohio House.” So expect this outside-the-Beltway political drama to continue.