Republican Bill Johnson to step down as congressman Jan. 21, begin Youngstown State job

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, will step down Jan. 21 as congressman and begin his new job as president of Youngstown State University on Jan. 22, Johnson's spokesman confirmed.

Johnson submitted his letter of resignation Tuesday to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, no relation, and Gov. Mike DeWine, Benjamin Keeler, Bill Johnson's spokesman, wrote in an email.

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Keeler did not say why Johnson chose Jan. 21 to step down. In November, Johnson announced he would resign by March 31 to be president of Youngstown State.

He has been the 6th District's congressman since 2011. In January 2023, Johnson officially began representing eastern and southern Stark County due to changes in district boundaries by the state the prior year.

Related: Congressman Bill Johnson to leave Congress to become president of Youngstown State

Republicans now hold 220 seats in Congress. The Democrats have 213. The U.S. House has two vacancies. Johnson's resignation reduces the number of Republicans in the House to 219, so 217 votes are required to pass bills with all congressmen present.

By state law, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine calls a special election to select a new congressman to represent the 6th Congressional District for the rest of Bill Johnson's term until the start of 2025. It's up to DeWine to decide the day of the special election.

Three Republicans and two Democrats filed by the Dec. 20 deadline for the March 19 primary ballot for congressman for the 6th Congressional District with the two-year term starting in January 2025.

The Republican candidates are State Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, R-Paris Township; State Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem; Rick Tsai, a Republican chiropractor in East Palestine. The Democratic candidates are Rylan Finzer of Bedford Heights and former Perry Township resident, who owns a business in the medical marijuana industry and Michael Kripchak of Youngstown, who filed to run as a congressional candidate in 2020. But Kripchak had a petition issue and failed to make it onto the ballot.

Related: Stark County Republican legislator Reggie Stoltzfus to run for Congress to replace Johnson

The Mahoning County Board of Elections is set to meet Tuesday afternoon to certify the 6th District Congressional candidates for the March 19 ballot.

The 6th District includes eastern and southern Stark County including nearly all of Perry Township and northeastern Tuscarawas County. It includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Harrison, Belmont, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Bill Johnson to step down as congressman Jan. 21