Governor Mike Dewine and State Leaders Join in Buckeye State Tradition
Columbus, OH –Today the official portrait of former Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof was unveiled inside the Ohio Statehouse. Speakers at the event who honored Obhof for his service included Governor Mike DeWine, state legislative leaders, and other state officials.
Larry was Senate President from 2017 to 2020, during one of the most challenging times in history. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Larry led the Ohio Senate through one of the longest legislative sessions in memory to address the public health crisis.
“It was an honor to make a difference for our great state,” Larry said. “I am proud to have served the people of Ohio and I am humbled to become part of this Buckeye State tradition today.”
Portraits of former Senate Presidents and House Speakers line the walls of the Statehouse, including American presidents like Taft and McKinley.
Cleveland artist Paul Wyse, known for painting religious leaders, public officials, and even stars like Billy Joel, created Larry’s portrait at no cost to taxpayers. Andy Herf, President of Shumaker Advisors Ohio, led an effort to gather private donations to cover the cost and continue the bipartisan Ohio tradition.
“President Obhof worked hard and earned a reputation as a bipartisan consensus builder and was highly respected on both sides of the aisle,” said Andy. “This is the type of leadership that should be praised, focusing on working together to get things done for the good of all Ohioans.”
Larry, a graduate of The Ohio State University and Yale Law School, served as a member of the Ohio Senate for nearly a decade. His colleagues unanimously elected him to serve as Senate President, the presiding officer of the 33-member chamber.
While he was a conservative lawmaker, more than 90 percent of legislation passed during his tenure was bipartisan. This includes reforming Ohio’s criminal justice system, strengthening laws against human trafficking, providing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) coverage for first responders, and fighting the opioid epidemic. In June 2019 he secured a rare unanimous vote of 33-0 for the state’s biennial budget.
In 2018, Larry received the Ohio State Bar Association’s Lawyer-Legislator Distinguished Service Award. Larry is currently a Partner at Shumaker.