Ohio Senate
In 2006 Sawyer was elected to the Ohio State Board of Education, District #7. He received 54% of the vote to Republican incumbent Deborah Owens-Fink's 29%, green Candidate David Kovacs's 12%, and John Jones's 5%. The race received attention due to Fink's promotion of intelligent design creationism in the classroom. Sawyer campaigned on his experience as an educator and a politician.
In February 2007, Sawyer was elected by members of the Ohio Senate Democratic caucus to fill the Ohio State Senate seat of Kimberly Zurz, who vacated to run the Ohio Department of Commerce. In the November 2008 general election, Sawyer held his senate seat by defeating Republican James Carr.
Sawyer is a member of the standing committees of Education (as ranking member); Energy and Public Utilities; Finance; and Insurance, Commerce and Labor. He is also a member of the Controlling Board; the Legislative Service Commission; the Power Siting Board; the Ohio Accountability Task Force; and the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
In 2012, Sawyer was elected to a second full term, defeating Republican Robert Roush 71.5% to 28.5%.
Read more about this topic: Thomas C. Sawyer
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