Kristina Roegner

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Kristina Roegner
Member of the Ohio Senate
from the 27th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2019
Preceded byFrank LaRose
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the 37th district
In office
January 2011 – December 2018
Preceded byMike Moran
Succeeded byCasey Weinstein
Personal details
Born (1968-11-27) November 27, 1968 (age 56)
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEric
Children3[1]
Residence(s)Hudson, Ohio, U.S.
Alma materTufts University
ProfessionMechanical Engineer

Kristina D. Roegner (born November 27, 1968) is an American politician who serves as a member of the Ohio Senate. She has represented the 27th senatorial district since 2019. Her district encompasses the majority of Summit County in Northern Ohio. As of 2025, Roegner is a candidate for the office of Ohio Treasurer of State.[2]

Career

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Roegner graduated cum laude from Tufts University in 1990 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Soon after, she worked for Westinghouse Power Generation overhauling power turbines, from 1990 to 1993. She then served as a consultant for the US-based firm McKinsey & Company.

Roegner entered public office in 2004, when she was seated on the Hudson City Council. Roegner would serve in this position until 2010.[3]

Ohio Senate

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Roegner is serving her second term in the Ohio Senate representing the 27th senatorial district, which includes the majority of Ohioans living in Summit County.[1]

The 27th senatorial district was redistricted to exist solely in Summit County for the 2022 election cycle. Senator Roegner won re-election to a second term on November 8, 2022, defeating challenger Patricia Goetz 51.1% to 48.9%.[4]

Prior to the 2022 election cycle, Roegner’s district boundaries were part of legislative maps drawn during redistricting cycles that independent analysts and court filings had criticized for partisan skew. Reports from nonpartisan watchdog organizations identified Ohio’s state legislative districts as among the most gerrymandered in the country during the 2010s, with numerous districts designed in ways that favored incumbents and one-party control.[5][6]

In the lead-up to the 2022 election cycle, Ohio’s legislative district maps — including the one encompassing Roegner’s seat — were subject to multiple legal challenges. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the maps violated the state constitution due to partisan bias favoring Republicans. Despite the ruling, the contested maps remained in place for the 2022 elections, including in Roegner’s district.[7][8]

The 2024 general election was conducted under new legislative maps approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission in September 2023, which were upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court in November 2023.[9][10]

Ohio House of Representatives

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When Mike Moran won the 42nd district in 2008, he took a seat in what was traditionally a Republican district. Therefore, he was a top target for House Republicans in 2010, and Roegner was fielded to try to unseat him.[11] In the end, she went on to beat Moran 51% to 49%.[12]

For the 129th General Assembly, Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder named Roegner as a member of the Republican majority caucus' Policy Committee.[13] She was sworn into office on January 3, 2011.

Roegner won reelection to the seat in 2012 with 54.18% of the vote over Democrat Tom Schmida, and again in 2014 with 58% of the vote. She is known for being one of the most conservative members of the House, despite her competitive district.

Committee assignments

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Initiatives and positions

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In 2011, Roegner supported a bill to limit collective bargaining for public employees, stating that it is something taxpayers should celebrate.[14]

Roegner has also been an advocate for selling state lands for oil and natural gas drilling, including on Lake Erie. She had urged rejection of the amendment, which would have added an extra layer of protection for Lake Erie on top of an existing federal ban on drilling, stating that it is foolish to let only Canada reap the benefits of the reserves underneath the lake.[15]

She has been critical of Governor John Kasich and his education funding formulas, calling them "wealth redistribution".

In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roegner and Senator Rob McColley introduced a bill that would immediately end Ohio's stay-at-home order and limit the state health director's ability to give similar orders. The bill is contrary to the recommendation of the country's top medical experts; Governor DeWine has promised to veto any bill that curb's the health director's authority during the crisis.[16]

In 2023, Roegner voted for legislation to ban the prescription of puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and gender transition surgery for minors and to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports.[17] Roegner argued, "attempting to change someone's sex is a fool's errand."[17] The legislation was vetoed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, but his veto was overridden by the Ohio General Assembly.[17] Roegner said she was "disappointed that the Governor chose not to protect girls across the State of Ohio."[18] During a Senate debate on the veto, Roegner falsely stated that gender-affirming care does not exist: "Despite what the liberals say, gender is not assigned at birth, but rather from the moment of conception, you are either male or you are female. There is no such thing as gender-affirming care. You can't affirm something that doesn't exist."[19]

In 2025, Roegner pushed for state legislation to alter the recreational marijuana policy that Ohio voters enshrined into law through a referendum in 2023.[20] The would decrease the THC content allowed in products and limit home growing of cannabis.[20]

Roegner has sponsored and supported a range of socially conservative legislation during her time in the Ohio legislature.

In 2019, she was the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 23, also known as the "Heartbeat Bill," which prohibits most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks into pregnancy. The bill does not include exceptions for rape or incest and was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on April 11, 2019.[21]

In 2024, Roegner voted in favor of Senate Bill 104, the “Protect All Students Act,” which requires schools and universities to assign restroom and locker room access based on biological sex assigned at birth. The legislation was signed into law in November 2024.[22]

Roegner also co-sponsored House Bill 68, which bans gender-affirming medical care for minors and restricts participation in school sports to students based on sex assigned at birth. Governor DeWine initially vetoed the bill in December 2023, but the legislature overrode the veto in January 2024.[23]

Roegner has cited her Catholic faith as an influence on her legislative priorities, particularly in the areas of life and family policy.[24]

Elected history

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Ohio Senate 27th district: results 2018-2022
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
2018 Adam VanHo 59,711 41.5% Kristina Roegner 84,031 58.5%
2022 Patricia Goetz 70,609 48.9% Kristina Roegner 73,801 51.1%
Ohio House 37th district: results 2010–2016
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
2010 Mike Moran 19,825 49% Kristina Roegner 21,240 51%
2012 Tom Schmida 27,460 46% Kristina Roegner 31,378 54%
2014 David Worhatch 14,015 42% Kristina Roegner 19,816 58%
2016 Casey Weinstein 26,675 43% Kristina Roegner 35,503 57%

References

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  1. ^ a b "Senator Kristina D. Roegner - Bio | the Ohio Senate".
  2. ^ "Veteran state lawmaker Kristina Roegner launches 2026 bid for Ohio treasurer". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. 2025-02-16. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  3. ^ "Senator Kristina D. Roegner Biography | Ohio Senate". Senate. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  4. ^ "Kristina Daley Roegner". Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  5. ^ "Ohio's gerrymandering problem: How the 2011 maps shaped a decade of elections". Cleveland.com. November 1, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  6. ^ "Ohio's redistricting process has long been rigged to protect party power, critics say". NPR. September 25, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  7. ^ "Ohio's top court again rejects GOP-drawn legislative maps". Associated Press. July 19, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  8. ^ "Ohio Republicans used gerrymandered maps despite court orders". The Guardian. July 21, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  9. ^ "Ohio Redistricting Commission adopts sixth version of Statehouse maps with bipartisan support". Ohio Capital Journal. September 27, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  10. ^ "Ohio Supreme Court dismisses redistricting challenge, leaving Statehouse maps in place". Ohio Capital Journal. November 28, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  11. ^ Moran vs. Roegner in 42nd House District
  12. ^ Brunner, Jennifer 2010 general election results Archived 2008-11-08 at the Wayback Machine Archived copy at the Library of Congress (November 9, 2011). (2010-11-02)
  13. ^ Ohio House: Batchelder Announces House GOP Policy Committee
  14. ^ "Public workers of collective bargaining rights in peril". Akron Beacon Journal. 2011-03-30. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  15. ^ Provance, Jim (2011-05-27). "Ohio House OKs drilling in parks". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
  16. ^ "2 Ohio state senators introduce bill that would 'immediately' end coronavirus shutdown".
  17. ^ a b c "Ohio upholds ban on child transgender procedures, overriding governor's veto". 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  18. ^ Hancock, Laura; Pelzer, Jeremy (2023-12-29). "Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoes bill that would ban transgender health care for minors, athletes in women's sports". cleveland.
  19. ^ "Ohio Senate overrides DeWine veto to restrict health care for transgender kids". The Columbus Dispatch. January 24, 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Ohio GOP says people didn't know what they were voting on when legalizing weed, passes bill to restrict it". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. 2025-02-27.
  21. ^ Ingber, Sasha (2019-04-11). "A Bill Banning Most Abortions Becomes Law In Ohio". NPR. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  22. ^ "Ohio governor signs bill limiting transgender students' bathroom access". Associated Press. 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  23. ^ "How Your Representative and Senator Voted on the HB68 Veto Override". Center for Christian Virtue. 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  24. ^ "Roegner: Faith, family drive public service". Ohio Senate. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
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