Derek Merrin | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives | |
| In office August 2, 2016 –January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Sears |
| Succeeded by | Elgin Rogers Jr. |
| Constituency | 47th district (2016–2023) 42nd district (2023–2025) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Derek Scott Merrin January 4,1986 Smithtown,New York,U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Owens Community College University of Toledo (BA) Bowling Green State University (MPA) |
Derek Scott Merrin [1] (born January 4,1986) is an American politician who previously served as the state representative for the 42nd District of the Ohio House of Representatives. He is a Republican. He was the Republican nominee for Ohio's 9th congressional district in 2024,where he was narrowly defeated by incumbent Marcy Kaptur.
During the 2018 Ohio House election cycle,Derek Merrin was identified in reporting as one of the Republican candidates recruited by then-State Representative Larry Householder as part of an organized effort to regain the speakership of the Ohio House of Representatives. According to an investigation by Cleveland.com,Householder assembled a slate of candidates,commonly referred to as “Team Householder,”who were encouraged to run for office with the expectation that they would support his bid for Speaker if elected. Schmidt was listed among the candidates recruited as part of this strategy. [2]
The successful election of multiple Team Householder candidates enabled Householder to secure enough internal support to be elected Speaker at the start of the 133rd Ohio General Assembly. [3]
During the 134th Ohio General Assembly,Derek Merrin voted against the expulsion of former House Speaker Larry Householder,who had been federally indicted and later convicted in connection with the Ohio nuclear bribery scandal tied to House Bill 6. The Ohio House voted 75–21 to expel Householder,with Derek Merrin among the 21 Republican members who opposed the resolution. [4] [5]
The expulsion marked the first removal of a sitting Ohio House member in more than a century and occurred amid broader fallout from the HB 6 scandal,which involved allegations of racketeering,bribery,and the use of dark money to influence state energy policy.
The expulsion vote occurred amid the broader Ohio nuclear bribery scandal,which centered on House Bill 6 and related dark-money activity.
Merrin was born in Smithtown,New York on Long Island,and moved to Waterville,Ohio,with his family when he was thirteen years old. [6] His father,Russ Merrin,was a public-school teacher and pastored Monclova Road Baptist Church for twenty-three years. Merrin's mother,Norma,was a registered nurse. Merrin is a graduate of Monclova Christian Academy. In addition,Merrin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toledo and a Master of Public Administration degree from Bowling Green State University. He attended Owens Community College before transferring to UT. [7]
Merrin was elected to the Waterville City Council,a city of just over 6,000 people,at the age of nineteen. [8] Two years later,he was elected Mayor. Along with his time in public office,Merrin previously worked for Ohio Auditor Dave Yost. [9] In 2012 he was named 'Thirty Conservatives Under Thirty' by Red Alert Politics. [10]
With Representative Barbara Sears term-limited in 2016,Merrin entered the race to succeed her. [11] He won a three-way primary against Republicans Vicki Donovan-Lyle and Kevin Haddad,with over 45% of the vote. [12]
Sears resigned from the seat before the end of her term to take a position in the administration of Ohio Governor John Kasich. [13] As the winner of the Republican primary,Ohio House Republicans led by Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger appointed Merrin to serve the remainder of Sears' term. [14] He was sworn into office on August 2,2016, [15] and won the ensuing general election over Democrat Lauri Cooper. Merrin was re-elected in 2018 and 2020,with nearly 60% of the vote each time. Following re-districting,Merrin's district was made substantially more Democratic,losing conservative western Lucas County while adding parts of the city of Toledo and inner ring suburbs. [16] Despite this,Merrin carried the Democrat-leaning (D+2) 47th House District by nearly eight points,53.9%-46.1% over Democrat Erika White. [17]
In 2022,Merrin lost the Speaker election to Jason Stephens,who had bipartisan support,by 54 to 43 votes. [18]