Jim Renacci (R-Ohio)

U.S. Representative (since January 2011)

(Renacci House office)

Why He Matters

A wealthy businessman who often reminds voters that as mayor of Wadsworth, Ohio, he not only balanced an $80 million budget, but created a surplus without additional taxes, Renacci has a message for Congress on behalf of businesses: "Washington has got to get out of the way."

After nearly three decades as an Ohio businessman whose portfolio has included nursing homes, a professional sports team and an auto dealership, Renacci says he would "restore common sense conservatism to government" as a representative of Ohio's 16th district. Renacci plans to take an axe to taxes and spending. He also said he would push for the repeal and replacement of the health-care reform bill.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: President/founder, LTC Management Services, (1985-Present); Mayor, Wadsworth (2004-2008); President, Wadsworth City Council (1999-2003)
Birthday: Dec. 3, 1958
Hometown: Monongahela, Pa.
Alma Mater: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, B.B.A., 1980
Spouse: Tina
Religion: Catholic
Committees: House Budget Committee
DC Office: 130 Cannon HOBWashington, DC 20515Phone: (202) 225-3876Fax: (202) 225-3059

Path To Power

Renacci was born in 1958 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Monongahela, Pa., where his father worked on the railroad and his mother was a nurse.

The first in his family with a college degree, Renacci studied business administration at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, he moved to Wadswoth, Ohio, where he worked as a certified public accountant.

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Ohio Businessman

In 1985, Renacci founded LTC Management Services, a company that owns and operates nursing homes.

Renacci also spread his business interests to professional sports. In 2003, he formed a group of investors to become the managing general partner and general manager of the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League. In 2006, Renacci considered purchasing the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League, but ultimately didn't.

As a businessman, Renacci has also found himself in court on dozens of occasions, suing others more than ten times and facing at least 20 lawsuits himself. While some of the cases were minor, others included a case in which Renacci ended up paying $1.4 million in back taxes and penalties to the state. At least two cases involved wrongful death cases at his nursing homes, one of which was settled out of court while the other was dismissed.

Wadsworth Politics

Renacci has been active in the Wadsworth government, including once serving as a volunteer firefighter. From 1993 to 1994, he sat on the city's Board of Zoning Appeals. After serving from 1999 to 2002 as the president of the Wadsworth City Council, Renacci was elected mayor in 2003.

Renacci chose not to seek a second term in 2007, saying he accomplished the two goals he had set for the city. "I wanted to help rebalance our economic base and bring our budget back in balance," Renacci said. "Those were my two major goals and I was able to accomplish both."

In 2007, Renacci and a partner bought out a Chevrolet dealership in danger of closing after its previous owner was convicted on money-laundering charges. The dealership closed in June 2010 as a part of the General Motors restructuring plan.

2010 House Race

In 2009, Renacci announced he would challenge freshman Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio) in 2010. Renacci's campaign garnered the immediate blessing of national Republicans who were impressed by his fundraising. He easily won the four-way primary in May 2010.

Renacci criticized Boccieri for supporting cap-and-trade measures and the Democrats' health-care reform plan, equating the incumbent with President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). "John Boccieri votes lockstep with Nancy Pelosi. This district is being represented by Nancy Pelosi right now," said Renacci repeatedly on the campaign trail.

Prior to the November election, Renacci said he hadn't thought about potential committee assignments before getting elected.

The Issues

A self-professed conservative, Renacci said his priorities in Congress would be to help create, stanch federal spending and seek repeal and replacement of the March 2010 health-care reform bill. Renacci said the tea party movement has played an important role in advancing the call for bringing fiscal responsibility to Congress.

Renacci was critical of Rep. John Boccieri's (D-Ohio) June 2009 vote for a bill that sought to institute cap-and-trade policies for greenhouse gas emissions. He called the measure "a job killing tax" that would have a negative effect in Ohio where most electricity is coal-based. He said the government needs an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy reform in order to end reliance on foreign oil.

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A believer in keeping education policy at the local level, Renacci said he was open to reforming the No Child Left Behind Act that sets education standards.

Renacci opposes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. He says the immigration problem would be best addressed by using laws already on the books.

Renacci criticized President Barack Obama's August 2010 statement supporting the right to build a mosque near the site of Ground Zero in New York City. Renacci's campaign said the president made it a national issue. "This debate is not about the rights that we have, but rather how we choose to exercise them. Just because we may have the right to do something, doesn't necessarily make it right to do it," Renacci said in a statement.

Taxes and Spending

To address federal spending, Renacci said he supported measures such as a constitutional amendment proposed by House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) that would limit government spending to 20 percent of the gross domestic product, excluding in times of war.

Renacci said he supports cutting the federal income tax and has backed the Fair Tax proposal, which would use a national sales tax instead, as an alternative. "I could only potentially support such a concept if the tax would serve as a replacement to the income tax, not an addition to it," Renacci said on his campaign web site.

Renacci said he supports keeping the George W. Bush tax cuts permanent for all income levels.

Health-Care Reform

Following the March 2010 passage of the health-care reform bill, Renacci said he would support repealing and replacing the bill, though he didn't oppose all of its provisions. He said he supported its banning denial of coverage to people with preexisting conditions and elimination of cost caps for certain illnesses. "But this bill did nothing to take care of costs," Renacci said.

Renacci said health-care reform was needed, but any effective bill should address the issue of cost by increasing competition and instituting tort reform.

Auto Industry

An owner of a Chevrolet dealership that was shuttered in June 2010, Renacci blamed the closing on what he called the Obama administration's "takeover" of General Motors. "I jumped into the campaign because of what happened to the car business," Renacci said. "This is another example of the devastation of this administration's massive government intrusion into the private sector."

Though Renacci participated in the "Cash for Clunkers" program, he was critical of it because it gave customers rebates for trading in old vehicles for more fuel-efficient models.

He said the $3 billion program had negative long-term effects on the auto industry and hurt used-car buyers who would have purchased the destroyed trade-ins.

The Network

Among Renacci's higher profile endorsements in 2010 were former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

Additional Resources