WASHINGTON, D.C. — In Congress, the longer someone is in office, the better chance they have of securing a leadership position.

All 16 of Ohio’s U.S. representatives won reelection this cycle, so they’re not going anywhere, and though Democrats are expected to keep control of the U.S. House, several Ohio Republicans are hoping their years in office will result in a promotion.

“The most fundamental requirement of Congress is to control the purse strings of our nation,” Rep. Bill Johnson said in a recent virtual interview.

Johnson (R, 6th Congressional District), who represents southeast Ohio, is running to become the top Republican on the House Budget Committee.

He’s been endorsed by the outgoing ranking member and is campaigning on pushing back on what he calls the Democrats’ “radical budget ideas.” Johnson said his constituents in the 6th District want fiscal responsibility.

“What they don’t understand is why they have to live by a budget within their families, the companies and the businesses that they work for have to live within a budget in order to make ends meet and to keep the business alive, but why doesn’t Washington have to live within a budget?” Johnson said.

Rep. Bob Latta (R, 5th Congressional District) of northwest Ohio wants to be the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

He’s running on an agenda of bridging the digital divide, strengthening the domestic supply chain, and increasing price transparency in health care.

And Dayton-area Congressman Mike Turner (R, 10th Congressional District) is hoping to become the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

A Dayton Business Journal article from September quoted Turner saying, “We have added over 10,000 jobs at [Wright-Patterson Air Force Base] as a direct result of my advocacy.”

The report also included an endorsement from former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and a previous Republican chair of the committee.

After Thanksgiving, each member will make their pitch to a House Republican committee that decides leadership positions.

If Johnson, Turner and Latta get chosen, there could be five Ohio lawmakers serving as the top Republicans on House committees. (Rep. Steve Chabot (R, 1st Congressional District) is currently the ranking member on the House Small Business Committee and Rep. Jim Jordan (R, 4th Congressional District) is the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.)

As I reported last week, Ohio’s few Democrats in Congress are also running for leadership posts.

Cleveland Congresswoman Marcia Fudge reportedly wants to become Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary, Toledo Rep. Marcy Kaptur wants to chair the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Joyce Beatty from Columbus wants to lead the Congressional Black Caucus.