Hoops, Riedel running for First District Ohio Senate seat

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Two men with legislative experience at the state level are running for the opportunity to represent Ohio Senate District 1, as current State Representative Jim Hoops and former State Representative Craig Riedel vie for the seat currently held by Rob McColley, who is unable to seek re-election due to term limits. McColley (R-Napoleon) is now the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswaney.

Hoops (R-Napoleon) represents Ohio’s 81st District, which includes all of Henry, Putnam and Williams counties, along with part of Fulton County. He served as Henry County Auditor from 1985-1998, then in the Ohio House from 1999-2006. In 2018, he returned to the Ohio House of Representatives to succeed McColley, who was appointed to the Ohio Senate. Hoops, who worked in the private sector from 2007-2014, is unable to seek re-election to the Ohio House due to term limits.

Riedel, who resides in Defiance, represented Ohio’s 82nd District from 2017-2022. At the time, the district was comprised of Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert counties, along with a portion of Auglaize County. He sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives District 9 seat in 2022 and 2024 but was unsuccessful both times. Prior to serving in the legislature, he worked as a civil engineer for 27 years at Nucor Steel.

In the interest of a better informed voting public, the VW independent submitted a series of questions to Hoops and Riedel. Below are their responses to each of the questions.

Why are you running for the Ohio Senate?

Jim Hoops

“I’m running for State Senate to continue serving the people of northwest Ohio and build on the work I’ve already done in the Ohio House. With term limits approaching, I believe this is the right opportunity to keep fighting for our region and ensure our communities continue to have a strong, experienced voice in Columbus. Northwest Ohio has a lot of momentum, but we also face real challenges, including an aging population and the need to prepare the next generation for good-paying jobs.”

“I want to focus on strengthening our local economy, supporting job creation, and making sure our communities remain a great place to live, work, and raise a family. At the end of the day, this is about continuing to serve the people I represent and standing up for the values that make our part of Ohio strong.”

Craig Riedel

“I am running for State Senate because northwest Ohio needs a conservative fighter to defend our values in Columbus. Our state needs to drastically reduce the tax burden on residents, cut waste, fraud, and abuse from state government, and stand for our Christian conservative values. We can’t afford to send another career politician, we need someone who can deliver results for Ohioans.”

How can your experience benefit the First District?

Craig Riedel

“I’m the only candidate in this race who spent most of their career working in the private sector. My 27 years in the steel industry gives me a unique perspective. I understand how government inhibits prosperity through overtaxing and wasteful spending. And I know what it takes to create and retain high-paying jobs, lower costs for families and senior citizens, and grow our region’s economy.”

Jim Hoops

“I have a record of working in the private sector to build our local communities and that has guided my public sector service. To get things done you have to work with others – that is why I have passed many bills as a state representative and I have been successful in getting grants for northwest Ohio. I have been called a workhorse and I find that interesting, but when you think about it, with a record of passing bills like property tax reform, it makes a lot of sense.”

What are the top issues facing the First Senate District?

Jim Hoops

“Energy and economic development: Without improved energy access, economic development will be halted in northwest Ohio. We need to build our grid and generation capacity to keep up with the needs of industry.  When we make these investments, companies will come to the area and companies currently here will grow.  We need access to affordable energy and currently it has become a crisis in our area.”

“Protecting family values and the Second Amendment: Always 100 percent pro-life and pro-second amendment, the defund the police movement and transgender movements are something I could not have forecasted.  We will have to continue to protect our children from the dangers associated with boys in girls’ sports and we need to keep our law enforcement strong and equipped to keep our streets safe.”

“Affordability and property tax reform: Families are at a crunch between inflation and stagnant wage growth.  We need to reduce costs by reducing the size of government, reducing taxes and incentivizing entrepreneurial spirit that fuels wage growth.”

Craig Riedel

“The cost of living is the top issue facing our Senate district. Rather than giving corrupt corporate bailouts that raise our utility bills and increasing the state’s gas tax, I believe Ohio should be cutting taxes and utility bills. I will fight to eliminate the state’s income tax, fix the broken property tax system, ensure adequate funding for Ohio’s schools, and put strong work requirements for able-bodied adults on public assistance.”

Do you feel this area is unique compared to other parts of the state?

Craig Riedel

“Northwest Ohio is God’s country. We are blessed with beautiful farms that feed our families, strong industries that fuels our state’s economy, and wonderful people who work hard each and every day.”

“Our elected leaders need to embrace our way of life and defend it from those who wish to force change. Whether it’s industrial wind and solar farms or massive data centers, we need to ensure our communities have the tools they need to choose our communities’ fate.”

“We also must defend the Judeo-Christian values on which our nation was founded. There are many forces in the world that seek to attack people of faith. We must speak truth to power and never back down in defending these sacred values.”

Jim Hoops

Northwest Ohio is the best place to live, work and raise a family. We have great opportunities for families and a values woven cloth that guides our strong communities. We have excellent schools and as state representative I have promoted those schools and ensured they have the funding needed to produce high caliber graduates.”

“Our fertile farm ground on the plains makes our area uniquely strong in the agricultural production sector. We must continue to reduce regulation and red tape to allow our local farms and industries to grow and succeed.”

The First Senate District encompasses all or parts of 10 counties in Northwest Ohio: all of Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams Counties, and part of Logan County.

The winner of the May 5 primary will be unopposed in the November general election.