| Mark Okey | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 61st district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | John Boccieri |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 4, 1951 Charleston, West Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Carrollton, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Kent State University, Ohio Northern University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Catholic |
Mark Okey is a Democratic member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 61st District since 2007.
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Okey graduated from Glenwood High School, then from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in history. He went on subsequently to earn a law degree from Ohio Northern University in 1976, and went on to establish the Okey Law Firm, LLC.
When John Boccieri opted to run for the Ohio Senate in 2006 and forgo a fourth term in the Ohio House, Okey sought to succeed him. Unopposed in the primary, Okey went on to face Republican Brant Luther in the general election, and won with 56.95% of the electorate.[1] In his first term, Okey served as a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Education Committee, Judiciary Committee, and the Public Utilities Committee.
In 2008, Okey ran for a second term, and won with 60.6% of the vote against Republican Kirk Susany and independent Paul Ray.[2] With Democrats now in the majority, Speaker of the House Armond Budish appointed Okey as Chairman of the Civil and Commercial Law Committee, and Vice Chairman of the Elections and Ethics Committee, as well as a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Public Utilities Committee.
Again running for reelection in 2010, Okey faced primary opposition in fellow Democrat Brian Simeone, but won the nomination with 72.97% of the vote.[3] In his toughest campaign yet, Okey defeated Republican Michael Foit by only 1,600 votes, or with 52.3% of the electorate.[4] He was sworn into his third term on January 3, 2011, and is serving on the committees of Judiciary and Ethics; and Local Government.[5]
In his third term, Okey has signed on to repeal the Ohio estate tax, the sole Democrat to do so.
He has become an opponent of Matt Huffman's proposal to ask voters in the November 8 election to raise Ohio's retirement age for judges seeking election from 70 to 75. "I don't think the system is broken," he said. "If the system is not broken why does this warrant a change in the Constitution?"