Mike Duffey | |
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Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 21st district |
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Assumed office January 3, 2011 |
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Preceded by | Kevin Bacon |
Personal details | |
Born |
Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
December 14, 1977
Political party | Republican |
Residence | Worthington, Ohio, U.S. |
Education | Thomas Worthington High School |
Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Profession | Reporter |
Mike Duffey (born December 14, 1977) is a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, serving the Twenty First District since 2011.
Duffey graduated with honors from Thomas Worthington High School in 1996. Four years later, he earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan. While in college, Duffey interned in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman John Kasich, now Governor of Ohio. He also worked for Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.
From 2003-2010, Duffey was employed with Hinson Ltd Public Relations and in 2008 was promoted to Director of Media Relations. Prior to that, from 2001 to 2003, he worked as a reporter for Hannah News Service, covering the Ohio legislature as a member of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association (OLCA). He is a former twice-elected member of Worthington City Council.
When incumbent Representative Kevin Bacon decided to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by David Goodman, Duffey entered the race to replace him. After being uncontested in the Republican primary, Duffey went on to face Democrat David Robinson in the general election. With Bacon out of the race, Democrats saw the 21st District as one of their top pick-ups of the cycle. In the end, the race proved to be one of the closest in the state in 2010, with Duffey besting Robinson by only 400 votes.
He was sworn into his first term on January 3, 2011, and is serving as a member of the Finance and Appropriations Committee; the Financial Institutions, Housing, and Urban Development Committee; the Health and Aging Committee; and the Local Government Committee. He is also a member of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.
Duffey won reelection to his seat in 2012 with 52.13% of the vote over Democrat Donna O'Connor.
In his freshman term, Duffey's legislation to privatize oversight of the Department of Development, a major campaign plank of Governor John Kasich, has been slated for early action in the House. Duffey described the bill as a "framework" for a program that would be updated after six months with input from the DOD director. "Unlike a government agency, a private economic development corporation can move at the same speed as private industry, respond to changing markets and partner with the private sector," he said. "This, in turn, increases the likelihood of job creation in our state."