The Eastern Delaware County Republican Club has endorsed Beth Lear for the open 68th Ohio House District seat.

Roger Antolik, a member of both the club and the Delaware County Republican Central Committee from Harlem Township, made the motion to endorse Lear at a Nov. 12 meeting.

“Beth Lear is the truest candidate to her convictions I’ve met, standing on her moral principles and the Constitution,” Antolik said. “We need strong leaders now that actually live out our values, unlike too many of our elected officials, and Beth has the experience and integrity our community deserves.”

Alice Nicks, from Berkshire Township, seconded the motion. The decision to endorse was unanimous.

Lear is a former chair of the club, a multi-generational Delaware County resident and also an elected member of the central committee. “I have had the opportunity to work with these folks on the east side of Delaware County for many years and it is such an honor to have their support,” Lear said.

The endorsement is for the March 15 Republican primary. Current State Rep. Margaret Ann Ruhl will be vacating the job because of term limits. Genoa Township Trustee Rick Carfagna also plans to run for the seat in the March GOP primary.

Lear, a self-employed legislative policy analyst, ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2010 for the now-reconfigured 2nd Ohio House District. She lost to State Rep. Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, in a six-person Republican primary. Lear finished third in the race.

“Beth has been an advocate for my family in many areas, both personally and professionally,” said John Nicks, current chair of the club. “She’s helped my wife work through business issues with the government and helped my permanently disabled granddaughter when Medicaid threatened to take away services they needed so her mother could work. Beth’s a constitutionalist and fiscal conservative who has a strong faith and puts God, family and country as her priorities. Beth has the heart, integrity and leadership we need and my family is behind her all the way.”