The Ohio Chamber Political Action Committee (OCCPAC) released its list of General Assembly endorsements for the 2016 primary election last week. OCCPAC endorses candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to free enterprise and a willingness to advocate for pro-growth, pro-jobs policies. After evaluating the 47 contested races scheduled for the March 15th primary, a total of 12 candidates for the Ohio House and Senate were endorsed.

OCCPAC issues endorsements to candidates that are recognized as the most pro-business candidate in a contested primary race based off of a specific set of criteria that identifies them as such. Of the 12 OCCPAC endorsed candidates, eight are current members of the Ohio General Assembly. Five of the eight current members have 100 percent lifetime pro-business voting records and nearly all of them have perfect scores for this session of the General Assembly.

The four other OCCPAC endorsed candidates are not currently members of the General Assembly. While a legislative record is the most objective way to gauge a candidate’s stance on pro-business issues, electing candidates that understand how public policy impacts Ohio businesses is equally important. Based off of one-on-one interviews, issues questionnaire responses, and their professional backgrounds, OCCPAC believes that all four endorsed non-incumbents would champion free enterprise and economic growth as legislators in Columbus.

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