COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Thursday members of the Ohio House will vote in person to remove Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
Householder has held the position of a year and six months but his arrest last week by the FBI on federal racketeering charges was enough for members to call for his replacement.
10TV took a look at the five lawmakers who have openly said they want to be the next speaker.
The five representatives are Jim Butler (R-Oakwood), Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township), Bob Cupp (R-Lima), Tim Ginter (R-Salem) and Craig Riedel (R-Defiance).
Carfagna, Ginter and Riedel all of them voted against House Bill 6, the controversial bill tied to the bribery scandal. Butler and Cupp voted for the bill.
But who among them supported Householder as speaker? Butler is the only one who voted for him to become speaker.
But the distinctions don't stop there.
Cupp is among many lawmakers who received campaign donations from FirstEnergy, the company that was pushing for passage of HB6.
FirstEnergy and former subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions, now Energy Harbor, own two northern Ohio nuclear plants that were at the center of the controversial legislation.
The bill’s passage allowed for a billion-dollar-plus ratepayer bailout that the FBI is investigating.
Cupp accepted $9,850 during a period from 2014 to 2018, all of which were within the legal contribution limits.
He didn't take any money from FirstEnergy during the past two years when House Bill 6 became a controversial vote.
Cupp is a former Ohio Supreme Court justice and has made a name for himself by being liked by both Democrats and Republicans, which could make him the favorite.
Here’s a closer look at the five vying to be the next speaker:
Jim Butler (R-Oakwood)
- The longest-serving member of the majority party
- He represents the 41st House District in Montgomery County (Centerville, Kettering, Oakwood and portions of Riverside and Dayton)
- Graduated in the top 10% of his class at the United States Naval Academy
- Lawyer
- Serves as Speaker Pro-Tempore in the House
Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township)
- Represents eastern half of Delaware County and all of Knox County
- From 2002 until 2017, he worked as Government Relations Manager for Time Warner Cable
- He helped expand broadband infrastructure to unserved households
- In 2016, the Genoa Township Business Association recognized him with its "Public Servant of the Year" Award
Bob Cupp (R-Lima)
- Former county commissioner to state representative and state senator
- He’s a former city prosecutor and Ohio Supreme Court justice
- He also has served as Chief Legal Counsel to former Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost.
Tim Ginter (R-Salem)
- Supported the legislation protects prayer and religious expression in public schools and provides for certain funding to schools
- He represents the 5th Ohio House District, which comprises all of Columbiana County
- He’s an ordained minister for 36 years and is a member of the National Rifle Association
Craig Riedel (R-Defiance)
- Serves as 82nd Ohio House District state which includes Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert counties, as well as part of Auglaize County
- Serves on the Higher Education, Economic and Workforce Development, Federalism and Ways and Means Committees
- Eucharistic minister