EC Ohio News

Governor DeWine has announced significant dates for the 6th Congressional District special election. The event was necessitated by the resignation of Rep. Bill Johnson, with a partisan primary slated for March 19th, 2024, and the general election scheduled for June 11th, 2024.

In an official communication cited in a press release from Governor DeWine, Rep. Johnson tendered his resignation to the Governor, effective January 21st, 2024. This move allowed the Governor to commence a special election and issue a Writ of Election to fill the impending vacancy.

Michael Peterson, Chair of the Youngstown State University (YSU) Board of Trustees, announced in a letter to the campus community that Johnson would assume his role as president of YSU on January 22nd. This date is earlier than initially anticipated in March. Johnson revealed his decision to accept the university post in late November but had not yet disclosed a departure date from Congress.

Johnson posted on X in November announcing his decision to lead Youngstown State University and not seek an eighth term in Congress. He described it as a challenging choice despite his passion for serving Eastern Ohio. Johnson pledged continued dedication in Congress for several more months, highlighting ongoing legislative priorities such as tax exemption legislation, a rail safety bill, LNG export streamlining, and a responsible budget and spending package. In his words: "It's business as usual."

The Hill reported that following these changes, the House will consist of 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and three vacancies. This arrangement places Republicans in a position where they can only afford to lose two votes on any party-line measure assuming full attendance.