Fresh off of a large electoral victory, State Representative Brian Baldridge of Winchester was elected by his colleagues to a leadership position in the Ohio House of Representatives last week.
On Wednesday evening, Republican members-elect of the 135th General Assembly met and designated Lucas County Republican Derek Merrin to be the next Speaker of the Ohio House. Baldridge was then asked by the new Speaker-designate to serve and was then elected by his colleagues as the Majority Whip.
The Majority Whip is elected by all members of the House and is responsible for monitoring legislation and securing votes for legislation on the floor. The term Whip originated in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is derived from the “whipper-in” at a fox hunt. As a member of the House leadership team, Baldridge will play a major role in setting public policy in the state.
“I’m honored to be designated Majority Whip and hold a leadership position within the majority caucus,” said Baldridge. “I’m very humbled by the honor. I want to thank Speaker-designate Merrin and my colleagues for electing me to this position.” Most importantly, I want to thank the voters for their trust in me back home to serve as their voice in the Ohio House.”
Baldridge will assume his new role in January.
