Larry Householder

Larry Householder of Glenford, Ohio, is an American politician of the Republican party who served as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005.

Householder worked in the insurance business in Perry County, Ohio, before entering politics. In 1994, Householder was elected to the office of county commissioner. In 1996, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. After serving two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, Householder was elected speaker in 2001 at the beginning of the 124th Ohio General Assembly. He had been part of the Republican leadership in his first two terms. Householder was a Bush Pioneer in 2004.

Householder was a bitter political opponent of fellow Republican Ken Blackwell, the Ohio Secretary of State. Blackwell had opposed tax increases adopted by the Householder led, Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly in the face of budget shortfalls. As a consequence of the political infighting, two of Householder's close associates and aides became embroiled in scandals that ultimately pulled Householder into a Federal investigation of alleged kickbacks and payoffs.

Prevented by Ohio's term limits law from seeking another term in the Ohio House, in the 2004 election Householder ran for the office of county auditor of Perry County, Ohio, unseating Democratic interim auditor Bill Crane. Despite spending over $800,000 from his vast warchest collected as Speaker, for a job that paid barely $45,000, Householder won the election by fewer than 270 votes.

In 2006 race for the County Auditor's position, incumbent Householder barely defeated a historically unpopular opponent in winning the Republican primary. He then faced Democrat Teresa Stevenson in the general election. Stevenson was a former Auditor's office employee that Householder fired after she won the Democratic nomination. Householder dropped out of the race for County Auditor in late August when his polling indicated he was headed for a significant defeat. Householder returned to private life and was recently was exonerated by the federal investigations that related to his terms as Ohio Speaker of the house.

Householder and his wife, Taundra, have five children and live on their family farm.