COLUMBUS, Ohio — State Rep. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) is resigning from the Ohio House of Representatives in order to accept a position with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
Carfagna, who represents the 68th District in the Ohio House, made the announcement Tuesday in an open letter to the citizens he serves in the eastern part of Delaware County and all of Knox County.
Carfagna wrote, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of Delaware and Knox counties as State Representative. The privilege to work in this capacity is one that few will ever realize. I hope that I have governed in a manner that has made you proud. … Your personal situation is more than a bumper sticker slogan and I’ve tried to reflect that in my careful consideration of policy matters.”
In his letter, Carfagna noted he had been in the process of gathering petition signatures to file for reelection as he had planned to seek his final two-year term in the Ohio House.
“However, in recent days I have been presented with an opportunity to continue doing what I love well beyond my legislative shelf-life, shaping public policy to advance the economic well-being and quality of life for all Ohioans,” he wrote.
Carfagna said he intends to resign his seat once his starting date with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is finalized.
“We are so fortunate in Central Ohio to live in the cradle of prosperity, but we have much work ahead to make the rest of the state a welcoming, prosperous place for all Ohioans,” Carfagna wrote. “I am not walking away from the public arena, but shifting to a different capacity to promote the ideas that will enrich and advance your respective American Dreams.”
Carfagna will serve as senior vice president of Government Affairs for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
According to a press release issued Tuesday by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Carfagna “will be responsible for leading the Chamber’s government affairs team and overseeing the Chamber’s public policy agenda.”
“Rick is an outstanding addition to the staff at the Ohio Chamber, and we are excited to have him on the team,” Ohio Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Stivers said. “He has extensive experience in management, public policy and politics, which makes him the perfect fit to ensure the Ohio Chamber achieves our aggressive policy goals for the 134th General Assembly and political objectives for the 2022 election cycle and into the future.”
Before joining the Ohio General Assembly, Carfagna – who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from John Carroll University – served as the government relations manager for Time Warner Cable from 2002 to 2017. He got his start in politics on the local level as a member of the Genoa Township Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2016.
