Fremont pastor will seek Ohio House seat

FREMONT — Fremont Baptist pastor Gary Click announced he will run as a Republican in 2020 for the House District 88 state representative post. It will be an open seat in next year's election. The seat is currently held by Rep. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin, who is leaving because of term limits and will run for the Ohio Senate next year. The district represents Sandusky and Seneca counties. Click will launch his campaign with an event scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Live Edge, 115 S. Front St. in Fremont. Former U.S. Senate candidate Mike Gibbons also will appear at the event.Click said Friday as far as he knows, he's the only announced Republican candidate for the 88th district seat."Gary intends to run a passionate race advancing the cause of conservative principles in the 88th House District," Click said in his announcement.The pastor of Fremont Baptist Temple in Fremont, Click and his wife of more than 30 years, Nanette, have four sons and four grandchildren. Click serves on the Republican State Central Committee, representing the 26th Senate district. He's been active in several Republican campaigns and gave the prayer at a Trump rally last year in Lewis Center, Ohio.Reineke, a businessman with a chain of family-owned auto dealerships, is running in 2020 for the Ohio Senate District 26 seat currently held by state Sen. Dave Burke, R-Marysville, who is leaving because of term limits. Another Republican, Melissa Ackison, has announced she also is seeking the District 26 seat. Gary Click