Zack Space

Zack Space
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 18th district
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by Bob Ney
Succeeded by Bob Gibbs
Personal details
Born (1961-01-27) January 27, 1961
Dover, Ohio, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Children 2
Education Kenyon College (BA)
Ohio State University, Columbus (JD)
Occupation Attorney, Economic Development Consultant

Zachary T. Space (born January 27, 1961) is an American politician and the former U.S. Representative for Ohio's 18th congressional district, serving from 2007 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After serving in Congress, Space became a lobbyist and was a principal for Vorys Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of the law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.[1] In August 2017, he announced his campaign for Ohio State Auditor in 2018.[2]

Early life, education and career

Space was born on January 27, 1961 in Dover, Ohio. His family is of Greek origin, originating from the island Icaria.

Space graduated from Dover High School in 1979, and attended Kenyon College, where he earned All-American honors in football,[3][4] and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science. Space then earned a Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

In 1986, Space started a law practice with his father, Socrates. Their firm, Space & Space Company, LPA, was in business for nearly 20 years and focused on consumer rights. The elder Space was also active in local politics, serving a long tenure as Chairman of the Tuscarawas County Democratic Party.[5][6]

Space is a member of the Tuscarawas County and State of Ohio Bar Associations. In addition to his private law practice, he has worked as a public defender and served as Special Counsel to two Attorneys General of Ohio, Anthony J. Celebrezze, Jr. and Lee Fisher.

After the death of Dover Law Director Thomas Watson, Space was appointed to fill the vacancy. He won re-election in 2001 with 70 percent of the vote, and was unopposed in the 2003 election. As Law Director, Space served as general counsel to the Dover city government and tried misdemeanor cases in the city's municipal court.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Space was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition.[7]

He is an advocate for embryonic stem cell research, a position he embraced after his son Nicholas was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age six. Representative Space voted against the final Senate version of the Affordable Care Act after voting for the House version which included a public option. Rep. Space voted for the Waxman-Markey "cap and trade" bill allowing it to be brought out of committee and be passed by the House. American Electric Power and the Environmental Defense Fund ran a commercial congratulating Rep. Space for his vote.

Political campaigns

2006

Zack Space visits Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia, Ohio, on August 4, 2006.

On May 2, 2006, Space won the Democratic primary for the House seat then held by Bob Ney, defeating Democrats Jennifer Stewart,[8] Joe Sulzer,[9] and Ralph Applegate. Space received 39 percent of the vote, Stewart 25 percent, Sulzer 24 percent, and Applegate received 11 percent.[10]

Republican Ney said much of the primary campaign was focused on attacking him, and said he would attempt to bring the campaign back to the issues. "It has to get back to issues," he said. "We are going to run an aggressive campaign. ... We are going to stick to the issues and show the difference between me and Zack Space."[10] In July, a poll commissioned by the Space campaign showed Space ahead of Ney, 46 percent to 35 percent, with 19 percent undecided.[11]

On August 7, Ney withdrew from the race, citing concerns about legal issues facing him; he pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal on October 13. In a special primary the Ohio Republican party selected State Senator Joy Padgett to replace Ney. She was dogged by questions about a business bankruptcy that she and her husband had filed. She was also seriously hampered by associations with Ney, as well as widespread scandals surrounding the Ohio Republican Party.

On November 7, Space defeated Padgett 62 percent to 38 percent. Although much more attention was paid to Brad Ellsworth's 61 percent to 39 percent defeat of John Hostettler in Indiana's 8th district, Space's victory was the largest margin of any Democrat in a Republican-held seat nationwide in 2006.

2008

Space defeated Fred Dailey, former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture 60-40%.

2010

Zack Space speaking to the Workers Memorial Day rally at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse in New Philadelphia, Ohio in April 2006

Space was challenged by Republican State Senator Bob Gibbs and Constitution Party Lindsey Sutton. Gibbs won the election, securing 54% of the vote to 40% that went to Space.

Ohio Auditor of State

Space formally announced his campaign for Ohio Auditor of State in August 2017 with stops in Martins Ferry, Zanesville, east-side Columbus, and Lima.

Space has focused his campaign around using the considerable constitutional powers of the Auditor's office to restore faith and confidence in Ohio's democratic process. Space has pledged to expose pay-to-play in Ohio's state government and mitigate against the influence of money in politics. In addition, Space has campaigned for an end to partisan gerrymandering, saying that "gerrymandering's immediate and most obvious effect is to disenfranchise voters. You allow legislators to select voters as opposed to voters selecting legislators.".[12]

In November 2017, Space embarked on an "Ohio River Tour to Restore" during which he held 11 campaign events over three days in Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia, Meigs, Athens, Monroe, Belmont, and Jefferson counties along the Ohio River.[13]

In January 2018, Space called on politicians who took campaign contributions from the founders of the now-shuttered Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow [14] to donate those monies back to local public schools.[15]

In February 2018, Space's race for Ohio Auditor of State race was named a National Priority Target by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, an anti-gerrymandering organization led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and backed by President Barack Obama.[16]

In June 2018, Space announced a plan to form a unit in the Auditor's office to investigate the full extent of the for-profit charter school scam in Ohio.[17]. Space's proposal was criticized by his Republican opponent, Keith Faber, who pointed out that the Auditor already is responsible for auditing all charter schools in Ohio.[18] In May, Space's Republican opponent, Keith Faber, returned over $36,000 in campaign contributions he had taken from ECOT.[19] Upon returning the money, Faber claimed he "helped shut ECOT down", which Politifact Ohio rated "Mostly False".[20]

In August, Space announced a plan to investigate the effects of NAFTA-era free trade policies on Ohio communities and workers[21]. The plan, called Working Families First, was announced at United Steelworkers halls in Youngstown, Ohio and Martins Ferry, Ohio[22][23].

In September, Space was endorsed by the Columbus Dispatch[24].

Personal life

Space is a managing member of several closely held companies that have constructed and operated hotels in Tuscarawas County. He has served as a board member for the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections, the Tuscarawas County Board of Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities, the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, CoalBlue, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, and as a steering committee member for the Central Ohio Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Clean Fuels Ohio.

Space is a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Massillon, Ohio.

References

  1. ↑ "Zachary T. Space: Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP". Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  2. ↑ Healy, Lauren. "Space announces candidacy for Ohio State Auditor | WTOV". Wtov9.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Kenyon College Athletics - Football All-Americans". Athletics.kenyon.edu. July 19, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ David M. Drucker (January 30, 2015). "Kenyon College - Tenacity, with a Contemplative Streak". Bulletin-archive.kenyon.edu. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ CHRISTOPHER MAAG (August 28, 2007). "G.O.P. Zeroes In on a Democrat It Sees as a Fluke Winner - The New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  6. ↑ Troy, Tom (February 15, 2018). "Space has issues edge in auditor race - The Blade". Toledoblade.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Blue Dog Coalition". House.gov. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Coshocton Tribune". Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Chillicothe Gazette". Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  10. 1 2 McCament, Dylan (May 3, 2006). "Ney, Space to face off in November". Mount Vernon News. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
  11. ↑ "zackspace.org". July 10, 2006. Archived from the original on August 2, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  12. ↑ David DeWitt, Associate Editor (November 12, 2017). "Ohio auditor candidate calls for an end to gerrymandering | Local News". athensnews.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Zack Space Announces 'Ohio River Tour to Restore'". Plunderbund.com. November 22, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  14. ↑ Tom Henry The (Toledo) Blade Catherine Candisky The Columbus Dispatch. (May 9, 2017). "Sponsor votes unanimously to shut down ECOT - News - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH". Dispatch.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "NDRC 2018 Electoral Targets | National Democratic Redistricting Committee". Democraticredistricting.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Zack Space Proposes Investigative Unit For Charter School Scam". WKSU. March 6, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  18. ↑ https://www.dispatch.com/news/20180613/republican-auditor-candidate-says-opponent-doesnt-understand-job
  19. ↑ Darrel Rowland (May 10, 2018). "Capitol Insider | Why no auditor's finding on millions ECOT gleaned from taxpayers? - News - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH". Dispatch.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Ohio auditor candidate misleads about his role in online school ECOT shutting down | PolitiFact Ohio". Politifact.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  21. ↑ http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180827/auditor-candidate-zack-space-decries-trade-agreements
  22. ↑ https://wtov9.com/news/local/labor-unions-politicians-talk-local-trade-impact-in-martins-ferry
  23. ↑ http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/community/2018/08/ohio-auditor-candidate-zack-space-talks-nafta-outlines-plan/
  24. ↑ http://www.dispatch.com/opinion/20180909/editorial-endorsement-for-state-auditor-zack-space-offers-integrity-leadership
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bob Ney		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 18th congressional district
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011		 Succeeded by
Bob Gibbs
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