Many months after last year’s battle over the speakership of the Ohio House of Representatives, the acrimony has begun to impact Portage County.

Republican State Rep. Gail Pavliga and her challenger, Heidi Workman, are locked in a fierce primary battle for the GOP nomination in the 72nd District, which includes most of Portage County.

Pavliga says she’s the target of several mailers attacking her, from a group within her own party.

Pavliga, one of three Portage County Republican incumbents facing opposition in the March 19 primary election, claimed “out-of-state dark money” is behind numerous mailers, including some that arrived at her Atwater home.

“I don’t know who’s trying to buy my seat,” she said.

Meanwhile, Workman said ads on cable television and social media have targeted her, and she said her opponent has contributed to the group behind the attacks.

“It’s just a brutal race, and I think it’s very damaging to the party,” Workman said. “The voters of Portage County don’t have any idea who’s telling the truth.”

Speaker battle comes home

Last year, Republican Jason Stephens was elected speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives after 22 Republicans − including Pavliga − crossed the aisle to join Democrats in supporting him, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Toledo-area Rep. Derek Merrin was picked by Republicans during an internal vote, but Stephens worked with Democrats to win the job in January 2023. Stephens became speaker with votes from 22 Republicans and 32 Democrats, the Dispatch reported.

Angry Republicans labeled the new speaker’s backers the “Blue 22” for siding with Democrats and got those lawmakers censured by the Ohio Republican Party. Locally, Workman posted an open letter to the Portage County Central Committee on her website, which she said was meant to call attention to Pavliga’s “betrayal” of the party.

Stephens spoke to Portage County Republicans at their recent Lincoln Day Dinner, a party fundraiser, along with Matt Huffman, president of the Ohio Senate, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. But Stephens wasn’t on their flyer.

Workman said Stephens was originally not scheduled to be a speaker, but learned about the event after the flyer was printed, and the party gave him time to speak.

Who’s paying for the ads?

The mailers targeting Pavliga are sponsored by Make Liberty Win, a political action committee in Alexandria, Virginia. The organization’s website states that it is dedicated to electing 250 “liberty-defending state legislators.”

“Our activists, stakeholders, and candidates are fighting to advance the cause of liberty and defend our only special interest: The U.S. Constitution,” the site states.

Workman has not been endorsed by Make Liberty Win, according to the website. She describes herself as a “constitutional conservative” and said she had nothing to do with the mailers when asked about it on her social media page.

“My campaign has nothing to do with these pieces so I have no control over what is said or sent out,” she stated. “Regarding the attack pieces against me, they are nothing but lies. I can’t control those attacks either.”

Meanwhile, ads targeting Workman are funded by the Ohio Republican Alliance. The group, backed by Stephens, seeks to support Republicans seeking election to the statehouse, including Pavliga.

Barrett Young, executive director of Make Liberty Win, said the group is engaging in every race where a member of the “Blue 22” is on the ballot. However, the organization will only endorse a GOP candidate if they are not facing opposition from a member of their party.

“In your neck of the woods, Gail Pavliga has been a thoroughly ineffective legislator who voted with Democrats to elect a liberal puppet as the speaker of the House,” Young said. “She also betrayed consumers by following her donor money to stop healthcare price transparency and vote for job-killing and energy price-raising legislation. We look forward to seeing her defeated on March 19th.”

Pavliga defends her record

Pavliga, a mental health counselor from Atwater, was elected four years ago, flipping the seat to the GOP. The terms of state representatives run for two years.

Many of Workman’s campaign posts on her social media page say they want to call attention to Pavliga’s voting record, with numerous posts calling out “Gail’s Betrayal.”

Pavliga said she is a member of the House’s Finance Committee, and has been able to bring millions in funding back to Portage County. Those projects have included the new dental school at Northeast Ohio Medical University, funds for AxessPointe location in Ravenna, millions of dollars worth of projects at Kent State University and the Salmon Carter House, on the grounds of the Portage County Historical Society in Ravenna.

She said she has always been “pro life” and favored the 2nd Amendment, despite claims to the contrary from opposition groups.

“How does this happen, and it’s happening in Portage County,” she said.

Portage Republicans staying neutral

Amanda Suffecool, chairwoman of the Portage County Republican Party, said the party’s policy is not to make endorsements in primaries, letting voters make their choice and then uniting behind that candidate.

“When you have contested races, it’s tough on everyone,” she said. “But it is the foundation of our democracy.”

She noted that there was a time when Republican primaries, and Republican races, were few and far between.

“This shows a very healthy party, were people want to be involved and serve the community.”

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com. The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Pavliga, Workman at center of fierce House race as GOP groups battle