COLUMBUS — Cruising down the highway in his maroon four-door, each mile bringing the car closer to 542,000 miles, Ohio Sen. Jimmy Stewart (R-20th) reflected back on his nearly 14 years in public office.
“I’m in a position to be able to help people — I’m not always able to, but sometimes I am,” Stewart said, adding that he frequently travels to each of the nine counties in his district to talk to constituents.
And now that he has officially announced his departure from public office to become president of the Ohio Gas Association, Stewart said there is one thing he will miss most.
“I’m going to miss getting to meet fascinating people,” he said.
Stewart, who was raised in West Virginia, moved to Athens in 1995 to work for Caterpillar as a small equipment salesman. He reminisced that he chose Athens because it sat in the middle of the area he covered.
Unlike many politicians, Stewart said he never intended to enter into politics — it wasn’t until a client offered him a ticket to the Meigs County Republican dinner in 1997 that he first considered public office.
“I wasn’t going to go to the dinner, but on a Saturday I reached into my coat pocket and found the ticket. I wasn’t doing anything that night, so I decided to go,” he said.
There, Stewart met Pete Couladis, now Athens County Republican Party chairman, who told Stewart he should run for Athens City Council because there were no Republicans representing the First Ward.
Although Stewart said he dismissed the idea at first because he knew few people in the city, he decided to attend the Republican committee meeting at The Plains Public Library to see the possible competition.
“I sat through all the candidates speaking and thought, ‘I don’t have a prayer.’ But I stood up and gave a speech about running for First Ward,” Stewart said.
Over the course of that summer and fall, Stewart went door to door every day gathering support. And although the First Ward is one of the most Democratic districts in the city, Stewart took the seat in the 1998 election.
“If I hadn’t put that coat on that day, if I hadn’t talked to Pete Couladis, if I hadn’t gone to the committee meeting, I wouldn’t be in this position today,” he said.
Shortly after he picked up the First Ward seat, the Athens city auditor resigned, and Stewart sought the possible appointment. He was chosen as auditor, and in 1999, he was elected to serve a four-year term in the position.
After his term ended, Stewart set his sights on something higher — becoming the Ohio House representative for the 92nd district.
Stewart ran against Democrat Jim Pancake from Nelsonville, but going into the race, he knew he had a good chance of grabbing the seat.
“I annihilated him — I could tell voters couldn’t stomach voting for him,” Stewart said.
In 2006, Stewart beat current district representative Debbie Phillips for the seat. And in 2008, Stewart was elected state senator of the 20th district.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have my constituents’ support. I never stopped going around door to door because it’s important to know what people want — that’s how I’ve done well,” he said.
With Stewart’s transition into the private sector beginning as early as next month, his resignation comes prior to the end of his term in December 2012. But he said it has nothing to do with his controversial vote in favor of Senate Bill 5.
“I can tell you unequivocally that SB5 had nothing to do with it. But I’ve done six campaigns in 11 years — I don’t want to be an elected official my whole life,” he said.
He was first recruited for his new position early this year to assist in the organization’s transition to legislative and regulatory affairs. Stewart said he was picked because he has experience in the legislature and an interest in the environmental field.
Robert Black, chairman of the Ohio Gas Association, said in a news release that the group is fortunate to have Stewart.
“With the many issues and opportunities facing Ohio’s natural gas industry, his legislative and administrative experience, as well as his commitment to our communities, will be tremendous assets to our members, our industry, and our entire state,” Black said.
Although Stewart said he never thought he would serve as an elected official, he added that he enjoyed his nearly 14 years in the public eye.
“I am truly blessed to have come this far, this fast, and I took advantage of every opportunity,” he said.
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