Count State Representative Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) among those who would like to replace Congressman Jim Renacci in the the U.S. House of Representatives. Patton announcing Monday he will seek the Republican nomination for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District.
“Washington is so chaotic and ineffective now,” Patton said in a statement. “I’m just one person, but I want to represent the people of Northeast Ohio as a voice of sanity and common sense,” Patton said promising to focus on tax reform, job creation and national security if elected.
He’ll face State Representative Christina Hagan (R-Stark County) in the 2018 spring primary. Hagan came to prominence as an early supporter of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign. "We have an interesting dynamic,” said News 5 Political Analyst Dr. Tom Sutton of Baldwin Wallace University.
“We have Christina Hagan who is from the southern part of the district, Stark, Wayne County area who technically doesn't live in the district, she's right across the border in the 7th district but she represents both areas in her state house district, whereas Tom Patton actually is in the district. "
"He has the population advantage, she might have the ideological advantage depending on how the voters identify with Trump and therefore identify her as being a Trump supporter," Sutton said.
The 16th District was represented for decades by the late Rep. Ralph Regula. It’s lines though were re-drawn making it more Republican in a 2012 race that pitted Renacci against Rep. Betty Sutton for the merged seats. Renacci won that race by four percent of the vote. "She lost that race, it was heavily tilted towards a Republican advantage,” Tom Sutton said speaking of the lack of Democrat candidates.
“I think Democrats at this point see this as a seat that is safely Republican and therefore they're not putting any candidates or money into it."
