Background
Hottinger, Jay was born on December 1, 1969 in Newark.
Hottinger, Jay was born on December 1, 1969 in Newark.
Hottinger attended Newark High School and has a degree in political science and public administration from Capital University.
His current district includes Coshocton, New Lexington, New Philadelphia, and Newark. Hottinger serves as the chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee. His professional experience includes working as an office manager for Jay Company and an electrical contractor.
In 1994, Hottinger made his first run for the Ohio House of Representatives.
He was only 25 years old, but had already served on the Newark City Council for three years. He went on to defeat his challenger to succeed Marc Guthrie.
When Senator Nancy Dix resigned from the Senate in 1998, creating a vacancy in the 31st Senate District, Senate Republicans chose Hottinger to replace her. With the seat up for re-election in 1998, Hottinger faced former Senator Eugene Branstool, who had been defeated by Dix a few years prior.
However, he went on to defeat Branstool with 58.85% of the vote.
He ran unopposed for re-election in 2002. Later on in his Senate tenure, Hottinger served as assistant majority whip, as well as chairman of the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee. He has been an outspoken critic of Medicaid expansion in Ohio.
In 2005, Hottinger announced that he would seek his former House seat.
Soon after, Hottinger was also mentioned as a potential running mate to gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell, who chose Republican Tom Raga instead, however.
In his first term back into the House, Speaker of the House Jon Husted appointed Hottinger as chairman of the House Finance Committee. Hottinger was reelected in 2008 against Democrat Howard Hill with 62% of the vote.
Hottinger was term-limited in 2014, as was his predecessor in the 31st district of the Ohio Senate, Tim Schaffer.
As a result, Hottinger announced he would run again for his former Senate seat. While his former district was also the 31st, the new 31st is entirely different following redistricting. Prior to 2012, the 31st included Fairfield, Licking, Perry, Hocking and parts of Pickaway counties.
After, it includes Licking, Perry, Coshocton, Tuscarawas and parts of Holmes counties.
As a result, the majority of the district Hottinger ran in for the 2014 election was different. Foreign the 131st, Hottinger has been named as chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee.
Committee assignments
Committee on Insurance (Chair)
Committee on State & Local Government (Vice Chair)
Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
Finance Subcommittee on Workforce
Committee on Financial Institutions
Committee on Health & Human Services
Committee on Transportation, Commerce & Labor.
A longtime member of the, Hottinger has served in both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Senate since 1995. Hottinger was a member of the Newark City Council from 1992 to 1994 and served as its President Pro Tempore in 1994.
Married Cheri Hottinger.