COLUMBUS, Ohio — Per Ohio law, if convicted of the felonious crimes of which he is accused, the former Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder would automatically be removed as a state lawmaker.

But Householder hasn’t had his day in court, and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

What You Need To Know

  • Many questions still swirl surrounding what U.S. Attorney Dave DeVillers calls “the largest public corruption case in Ohio history”

  • Questions remain as to what will happen to Larry Householder's seat come November

  • As of right now, his is the only name on the ballot and he has no plans to withdraw

  • So far, two hopefuls have thrown their hats in the ring as write-ins

“it is obviously a very dark cloud for the Republicans,” said OSU Political Science Professor Dr. Paul Beck.

Already unanimously ousted as speaker by his own party, when asked outside federal court if he would bow out of the November race, he said no.

Beck says Householder has historically been undeterred by scandal.

“We may remember that back when he was Speaker of the House 20 years ago, he also was under investigation there and there were challenges to him, legal challenges to him, but he was able to be reelected a few years ago,” Beck said.

This is proving to be a sticky situation for Licking, Perry, and Coshocton Counties, when come November, Householder will be the lone name on the ballot.

“i think Householder probably still has supporters, certainly in his home county of Perry County,” said Beck.

According to the Perry County Board of Elections, at this point, unless he's impeached, no other party candidates will appear since it had to be done in the primaries.

But that doesn’t mean Householder is running unnopposed. 

So far, two hopefuls have thrown their hats in the ring as write-ins. Former Coshocton City Council candidate Robert Leist is running as a Libertarian, and Marine Corps veteran Jay Conrad is running as a Republican.

Conrad is taking aim at Householder, saying, “I believe our public servants must be better. The people of Ohio deserve someone who listens to their needs, not someone looking out for their own ego or agenda, or seeking to line their own pockets.”

“If these write-in candidates are able to get on the ballot, it’s not inconceivable that one of them could win, even though write-ins are notoriously unlucky,” said Beck.

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Beck says Householder is fighting an uphill battle that will be decided by both voters and the court.​

“There's a resiliency there that we shouldn’t discount. On the other hand, i think that politically, he is not in good shape.”​

The write-in candidate deadline is August 24.  So far, no Democrats have come forward in the historically red district.

Should Householder be reelected and cleared by the court, he will continue to serve.

Should he be reelected and convicted, he will be removed immediately, and faced with 20 years in prison.