A new session of the General Assembly starts in January, and that will mean some new leaders in the Ohio Senate.
Republican Senator Larry Obhof will lead the Senate next year as term limited President Keith Faber takes a seat in the Ohio House. Obhof, who has been in the Senate since 2011, will be the first Senator from Medina County to lead the chamber since the 1860s. Senator Bob Peterson of Washington Court House will be President Pro Tempore, Randy Gardner of Bowling Green will be the Majority Floor Leader and Gayle Manning of North Ridgeville has been reelected as Majority Whip. On the Democratic side, Senator Joe Schiavoni of Boardman will continue to serve as Minority Leader. Charleta Tavares of Columbus will be the Assistant Minority Leader, Edna Brown of Toledo will be the Minority Whip and Cecil Thomas of Cincinnati will be the Assistant Minority Whip. The GOP gained a seat in the Senate this fall, so there will be 24 Republicans and nine Democrats in the 33 member chamber.
