Theresa Gavarone | |
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Member of the Ohio Senate from the 2nd district | |
Assumed office February 6, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Randy Gardner |
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 3rd district | |
In office August 2, 2016 – February 6, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Tim Brown |
Succeeded by | Haraz Ghanbari |
Personal details | |
Born | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | June 30, 1966
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Jim Gavarone |
Children | 3 |
Education | Bowling Green State University (BS) University of Toledo (JD) |
Theresa Gavarone (born June 30, 1966) is an American attorney, politician, and businesswoman serving as a member of the Ohio Senate for the 2nd district. A Republican, Gavarone was first appointed to the Senate in 2019 after serving in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2016 to 2019.
Gavarone was born in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Archbishop Alter High School in neighboring Kettering. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law, graduating in 1994. Soon after, she began practicing law in Bowling Green.[1][2]
Along with her husband, Jim, Gavarone owns and operates Mr. Spots Philadelphia Steak Sandwich in Bowling Green along with practicing law.[3] Gavarone was elected to two full terms on the Bowling Green City Council, winning in 2013 and again in 2015.
In 2016, Tim Brown decided to step down from the Ohio House to take a position with the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, allowing Speaker Cliff Rosenberger and the House Republican Caucus to select his successor. After vetting, Gavarone was chosen to complete the remainder of Brown's term and to take his place on the ballot for a full term beginning in 2017. She was seated in the House on August 2, 2016, and won elections for full terms in 2016 and again in 2018.
Gavarone was vice chair of the House Health Committee.[4]
In 2019, Randy Gardner was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine as chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. He resigned from the Senate in January. Gavarone immediately announced her intention to seek an appointment to the seat.[5] On February 6, after unanimous approval by the Senate Republican Caucus, Gavarone was officially sworn in as a member of the Senate.[6]
At the beginning of the 133rd General Assembly, Gavarone became vice chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee.
In June 2019, Gavarone sponsored legislation that would ban synthetic urine.[7] In 2021, after Democratic candidates had won several races for the Supreme Court of Ohio in a row, Gavarone proposed a bill that would list the party affiliation of state supreme court judicial candidates on ballots.[8]
During the 134th General Assembly, Gavarone was assigned to the following Ohio Senate committees:[9]
Additionally, Gavarone had the following special appointments:
Gavarone was a Republican candidate for Ohio's 9th congressional district in the 2022 election. She placed third in the May 3, 2022, Ohio primary, losing to J.R. Majewski, a nuclear power plant employee who came to prominence after painting a Trump sign on his lawn.[10][11][12]
Gavarone and her husband have three children.[13]
Election results[14] | ||||||||||||||||||
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Year | Office | Election | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||||||||
2016 | Ohio House of Representatives | General | Theresa Gavarone | Republican | 35,025 | 59.05% | Kelly Wicks | Democratic | 24,289 | 40.95% | ||||||||
2018 | Ohio House of Representatives | General | Theresa Gavarone | Republican | 29759 | 62.2% | Aidan Hubbell-Staeble | Democratic | 18058 | 37.8% | ||||||||
2020 | Ohio Senate | General | Theresa Gavarone | Republican | 122,084 | 62.2%% | Joel O'Dorisio | Democratic | 74,240 | 37.8% | ||||||||
2022 | Ohio's 9th congressional district | Primary | J.R. Majewski | Republican | 21,666 | 35.7% | Craig Riedel | Republican | 18,861 | 31.0% | Theresa Gavarone | Republican | 17,337 | 28.5% |