Steven Ernst Stivers ( ; born March 24, 1965) is an American businessman and politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2011 until 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party, and became chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee in 2017. Stivers previously served in the Ohio Senate, representing the 15th district. He is a major general in the Ohio Army National Guard, serving as the Assistant Adjutant General, and served active duty in Iraq as a battalion commander until December 2005. On May 16, 2021, he resigned his seat to become the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
Early life and education
Stivers was born and grew up in Ripley, Ohio, the son of Carol Sue (née Pulliam) and Ernst Bambach Stivers. Steve is a recipient of the Eagle Scout Award.
Stivers attended the Ohio State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and international relations in 1989 and an MBA in 1996. While attending Ohio State he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity.
Career
Stivers spent seven years at Bank One, three years at the Ohio Company, two years as finance director for the Franklin County Republican Party and five years as a staff member in the Ohio Senate. Stivers worked as a Series 7 licensed securities trader with the Ohio Company.
Military service
Stivers has served in the Ohio Army National Guard since 1985 and holds the rank of Major General in the Logistics branch. Stivers was called to active duty while serving in the Ohio Senate in October 2004. It was then that Stivers served in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Djibouti as battalion commander until December 2005. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his accomplishments as a battalion commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Ohio Senate
Elections
In December 2002, Republican Priscilla Mead resigned after serving in the Ohio Senate for only a year. Stivers was recommended by a Senate screening committee and was appointed by election of the Senate Republicans on January 4, 2003. He won re-election in 2004 to a full senate term with 58% of the vote.
Tenure
Stivers served in the Ohio Senate from January 9, 2003, until December 2008.
Committee assignments
Stivers was the Chairman of the Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee; Vice-Chair of the Finance and Financial Institutions Committee; and served on the Ways and Means Committee, the Judiciary Committee on Civil Justice, the Judiciary Committee for Criminal Justice, and the Controlling Board.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2008
In November 2007, Stivers announced he would run for election to Congress in Ohio's 15th District, a seat held by retiring Republican member Deborah Pryce. He won the Republican nomination and ran against Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, who had nearly unseated Pryce in 2006, Libertarian Mark Noble and Independent Don Elijah Eckhart. Stivers lost by 2,311 votes, conceding on December 7, 2008, after a long vote recount.
2010
Stivers won the Republican primary with 82% of the vote. He again faced Democratic incumbent Mary Jo Kilroy along with Constitution Party nominee David Ryon and Libertarian nominee William J. Kammerer. On November 2, 2010, Kilroy conceded to Stivers, who won by a 54% to 42% margin.
2012
Redistricting after the 2010 census made the 15th much friendlier to Stivers. During his first term, he represented a fairly compact district covering all of Union and Madison counties, as well as most of downtown and western Columbus. The new map, however, pushed the 15th into more rural and exurban territory south and west of the capital.
Stivers ran again in 2012 against Democratic nominee Pat Lang. He was endorsed by the NRA, National Right to Life, Ohio State Medical Association and United States Chamber of Commerce. Stivers was re-elected by 76,397 votes.
2014
Stivers ran in 2014 against Democratic Scott Wharton. Gaining more than 66 percent of the vote, he was reelected for a third term.
2016
Stivers ran in 2016 against Democrat Scott Wharton for the OH-15 seat. Winning 66.2% (222,847) of the vote to Wharton's 33.8% (113,960).
Tenure
The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy ranked Stivers as the 36th and 37th most bipartisan member of the U.S. House during the 114th (2015–17) and 115th Congresses. His resignation triggered a special election in 2021 which was won by fellow republican Mike Carey.