DARKE COUNTY — George Lovett (R- Tipp City) has announced he is seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 80th Ohio House of Representatives seat in the May 8 primary.

The 80th House District is composed of all of Miami County and the southern half of Darke County.

Other Republicans who have announced their candidacy include J.D. Winteregg of Troy and Miami County Commissioner John “Bud” O’Brien. The seat is currently being held by Representative Stephen Huffman (R-Tipp City) who is running for the Ohio Senate.

In making the announcement, Lovett stated, “If we keep electing career politicians with no business experience, then we can expect more of the same. We need a change.”

“Experience matters, but it needs to be the right kind of experience,” he said. “We need elected leaders who have been successful business persons and have some government experience. They know what it takes to create jobs and how to make government productive. We also need people ready to fight for us who cannot be bought.”

“I have the business experience, plus the benefit of having served as a mayor and city councilperson, to bring the fundamental change necessary to take Ohio into the future. Hard work and faith are my foundation. When I was eight years old I began working in my parents’ bait store. When I was 12, I began selling live bait to other stores. At 16, I began driving delivery trucks to sell minnows and worms in over a dozen Ohio counties,” he added.

Lovett earned a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University, then added a MA and JD from the Ohio State University. After passing the Bar in 1988, Lovett began practicing law in Tipp City. In 1994, he started his own firm. Today that firm has four offices and nine employees and has provided estate planning, trust, probate, and nursing home planning to thousands of families.

Along the way Lovett served eight years on Tipp City Council and two years as Tipp City mayor. He has been president of the Mum Festival, Tipp City Rotary, Tipp Monroe Optimists, the Miami County Republican Men’s Club, Miami County Bar Association, and chairman of the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health. His memberships have included the Ohio Municipal Electric Association, Tipp Monroe Airport Task Force, Tipp City Chamber of Commerce, Tipp City Library Board, Temple Ansche Emeth in Piqua, Ohio, and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Lovett added, “It’s time to get some folks with the right experience to do the job in Columbus. A successful business person knows more than a career politician how to create jobs. A person who has already served in government knows how that works too. If the candidate has been successful in business and government, then we get the best of both worlds.”

“I will bring new energy and creativity to Columbus to serve us well. I ask for your vote on May 8 as your State Representative for the 80th House District,” he said.

For more information on his campaign, go to Lovett’s website at www.lovettforohio.com