OHIO — The Ohio legislature is already making history as the two chambers transition from one set of leadership to the next.


What You Need To Know

  • Republican State Rep. Matt Huffman is now the first person in the state’s modern history to preside over both the House and Senate in the same day

  • Gayle Manning is the first woman House Speaker pro tempore
  • Democratic State Rep. Crystal Lett, District 11, is one of the newest members of the House

Republican State Rep. Matt Huffman is now the first person in the state’s modern history to preside over both the House and Senate in the same day, and Gayle Manning is the first woman House Speaker pro tempore.

The goal is clarity and resolution, Huffman said in his speech as he recognized the people who helped him get where he is.

“Well, it’s kind of cool as a government nerd, and you know, a guy when he was a kid colored in states during presidential elections,” Huffman said. “My dad ran for county prosecutor in 1986. My uncle Bob ran for Congress, and so I’ve always been involved in this.”

Yet, Democratic State Rep. Crystal Lett, District 11, is one of the newest members of the House.

She was elected in a race that was competitive, but Lett kept pushing forward.

“This is my second run, and so to actually be here and to get to serve the people that I’ve been hoping to serve for a few years now it just feels like a huge honor,” Lett said. “I won with 51.88% of the vote, which is different because the last time I lost in an automatic recount, I lost by 116 votes in 2020, came back and ran again.”

Lett said she’s now working to address issues that are important both for her district and Ohio.

The hope is to make things better and be there for her constituents.

“It was really important to run as my authentic self, so that the people of the district really felt like they knew who they were electing and knew the things I cared about,” Lett said. “That I’m accessible that they can reach me that they understand what this office does and how it works for them and certainly to work in, within these walls to just increase civic participation, civility.”

As for Huffman, he says he doesn’t want to waste people’s time.

“I want to start on time. I want to be clear about what people are voting on,” Huffman said. “If they don’t like it, vote no, and then we move on to the next vote, rather than dragging things out.”