| W. Carlton Weddington | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 27th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Joyce Beatty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 4, 1970 Columbus, Ohio |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Columbus, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Hampton University |
| Profession | Legislator |
| Religion | Baptist |
W. Carlton Weddington is a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 27th District. He holds a B.A. in political science from Hampton University.
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A graduate of Hampton University, Weddington has worked as an Ohio Jobs and Family Services liaison, a member of the Columbus, Ohio School Board, and as an Ohio School Board Association Trustee.
With Minority Leader Joyce Beatty term limited in 2008, four vied to replace her in the House. In a benefit to Weddington, the Democratic House caucus endorsed his campaign. Weddington went on to win the primary to replace Beatty,[1] beatting Mayo Makinde and H. Lee Thompson with 58% of the vote.[2] In the general election, Weddington easily defeated Republican Jim Hunter by 28,000 votes.[3]
Weddington served as Secretary of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus for the 128th General Assembly. After Eugene Miller resigned from the legislature, Weddington also became the Chairman of the Legislative Cancer caucus. Speaker of the House Armond Budish also appointed Weddington as Vice Chairman of the House Local Government and Public Administration Committee.
In 2010, Weddington came under scrutiny when he allegedly was challenged in the 2010 primary by former Representative Mike Mitchell, who sought to capitalize on his former limited experience as a legislator in a different district. However, Weddington easily defeated Mitchell, winning by 4,000 votes.[4] He went on to beat Republican Meagan Cyrus in the general election by 17,000 votes.[5]
He serves as the ranking member of the Local Government Committee; as well as on the committees of Criminal Justice; Finance and Appropriations and its Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; and Public Utilities. He also is a member of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee and the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood.
Weddington was critical early on of Ohio Governor John Kasich's lack of cabinet diversity.[6]
A contributor to the biannual transportation budget, Weddington has criticized a measure to allow county clerks of courts to act as deputy registrars, stating that it puts small businesses at an unfair advantage. The measure ended up passing the House anyway.[7]
Weddington has stated that Republicans were "trying to put some of us all in the back of the bus" by allowing the passage of a bill that requires photo ID to cast a ballot. He believes the bill disenfranchises African American voters.[8]