State Senate Minority Leadership – 136th General Assembly

The Ohio Senate minority caucus is comprised of the party with the fewest members represented. Each session, members of the minority caucus select a slate of leaders, headed by the minority leader.

DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS LEADERSHIP

Minority Leader – Nickie J. Antonio – Senate District 23. The minority leader is elected by all members of the Senate to lead the party in the minority. He or She is responsible for the development and implementation of the caucus agenda.

State Senator Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) is honored to represent District 23 and serve as Minority Leader in the Ohio Senate. Antonio, who was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and again in 2022, previously spent eight years in the Ohio House of Representatives representing District 13. Antonio has previously worked as a Lakewood City Councilmember, Executive Director of an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program for women, Adjunct Professor and a teacher for children with special needs.

In addition to her role as Minority Leader, Antonio serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Health and Transportation Committees. She also sits on the Rules and Reference, Joint Legislative Ethics Committees and Legislative Service Commission and has experience on the Senate Finance; Ways and Means; and Workforce and Higher Education Committees. Additionally, she is a member of the Ohio House Democratic Women’s Caucus, previously as chair, and is the State Director for the National Women Legislators’ Lobby.

She has been a dedicated champion of workers’ rights, high-quality education, local governments, equal rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community, health care for all and fighting the opioid crisis. Antonio has received numerous awards for outstanding legislative leadership, including the Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award from the Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs and the 2019 ACAR J. Howard Battle Equal Opportunity in Housing Award from the Akron/Cleveland Association of Realtors. A full list of Senator Antonio’s awards can be found here.

Antonio is recognized in the General Assembly as a leader who reaches across the aisle to get things done and an established expert in health policy. She championed Ohio’s historic adoption open records law and step therapy reform law, as well as passed legislation abolishing the shackling of pregnant inmates and requiring pharmacist education for dispensing life-saving naloxone. During her tenure, Antonio has introduced the Ohio Fairness Act in every General Assembly since 2011, which would provide civil rights protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. She continues to work to end Ohio’s use of the death penalty, as well as on many other bills to improve the lives of all Ohioans.

Antonio has made a number of historic firsts in the Ohio General Assembly. In 2010, she became the first member of the LGBTQ+ community ever elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in the 208-year history of the Ohio General Assembly. She was also the first LGBTQ+ member to hold a leadership position when she was elected Minority Whip in the 131st General Assembly. In 2018, she became the first woman to hold the Senate District 23 seat and the first member of the LGBTQ+ community ever elected to the Ohio Senate. She continues historic firsts with her Senate leadership position of Minority Whip, followed by Assistant Minority Leader in 2021, and current position of Minority Leader.

The first in her family to graduate from college, she holds both an M.P.A. and a B.S. Ed. from Cleveland State University. She was named a CSU Distinguished Alumni in 2013. She is also an alumnus of the Bohnett Fellow of the Kennedy School Harvard Leadership Program (2011).

Her daughters, Ariel and Stacey, have made Antonio and her wife, Jean Kosmac, very proud as the girls engage in their adult life journeys.

Contact Senator Nickie J. Antonio:

Assistant Minority Leader –  Hearcel F. Craig – Senate District 5. The assistant minority leader is elected by all members of the Senate and assists the minority leader in development and implementation of the agenda for the minority party.

State Senator Hearcel F. Craig currently represents Ohio’s 15th Senate District and holds the position of Assistant Minority Leader. Craig has an extensive background in public service at the state and local levels. Prior to being elected to the Ohio Senate in 2018 and 2022, he served in the Ohio House and on Columbus City Council. Craig serves as the Ranking Member on the Senate Insurance and Veterans and Public Safety Committees. Senator Craig also sits on the Senate Finance; Medicaid; and Rules and Reference Committees. Additionally, Senator Craig serves as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.

Senator Craig earned a Master of Science in Administration degree from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Franklin University. He also studied at Ashland Theological Seminary as part of their Master of Divinity program and was a Join Together National Leadership Fellow at Boston University School of Public Health. Senator Craig completed the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD) in 2015. He was certified as an NASD Arbitrator in 2007 and proudly served our nation in the United States Army from 1970 – 1972. Senator Craig has also completed Leadership Columbus, Leadership Ohio, the Ohio Executive Institute, and the Council of State Governments’ 2023 Henry Toll Fellowship.

Craig’s career as a public servant began when he worked as a legislative liaison for the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS). During his tenure at ODYS, Craig drafted legislation and secured legislative sponsorship for bills introduced in the Ohio General Assembly. One of the pieces of legislation he helped bring to fruition was House Bill 812, which secured $83 million for much-needed capital improvements to ODYS facilities. Senator Craig then served as Director of Recruitment & Admissions for City Year, where he worked to improve the lives of young professionals through service and leadership development. The City Year program recruits young adults to work full-time for one year on various social service projects around Columbus. As a result of his efforts, City Year corps members can receive valuable training and leadership skills that will benefit them later in their professional lives.

During his time serving on Columbus City Council, Craig was named President Pro Tempore and chaired committees that dealt with the city’s infrastructure, such as the Public Service & Transportation Committee, Small & Minority Business Development Committee, and the Recreation & Parks Committee. Additionally, Craig had the opportunity to chair committees that allowed him to interact directly with the people of Columbus. These committees included the Health & Human Services Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where he continued advocating for the well-being of the community while meeting the needs of veterans, service personnel and their families. He worked tirelessly to connect veterans with existing services and resources in the community and created new initiatives, such as the Better Municipal Care for Veterans Home Fund, which helps veterans and their families make needed repairs to their homes. Since the beginning of his career, Craig’s priorities as a public servant have included creating access to a wide range of programs and services that enhance the quality of life for children, families, veterans, and seniors. He has remained committed to these values while serving in the Ohio Senate.

Senator Craig also has senior leadership and management experience in both the public and private sectors. As the Executive Director of the Hilltop Civic Council, he managed the comprehensive social service agency, which served approximately 10,000 people annually in one of Columbus’ historic neighborhoods. During this time, he helped the Hilltop Civic Council administer its $1.2 million annual budget toward initiatives like a comprehensive community health care center, youth and senior services, a resettlement center for new Americans and a food and clothing pantry. Craig was also appointed as Auto Policy Issue Manager at JC Penney Casualty Insurance Co.

Throughout his career, Craig has volunteered his time as a trustee on numerous community service boards centered on education and is a lifetime member of the NAACP. He has served as a member of the Columbus Public Schools Equity Task Force; Columbus State Community College Department of Business, Industry Technology Curriculum Committee; Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance; Southside Learning and Development Center’s Board of Trustees; Ohio Hunger Task Force Board of Trustees; Columbus Cultural Arts Center Board of Trustees; and Prince Hall Masons. He previously served on the board of the Military Veterans Resource Center and as board chair for the Alliance for Cooperative Justice, Franklin County Prevention Institute, and State Education Committee for the Columbus Chapter of the NAACP.

Senator Craig has received a number of awards for his contributions to his community and Ohio, including the Columbus Public Schools Golden Ruler Award (1990); Foster O. Newlin Award by his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. (2003); Healthcare Hero Award, Columbus Neighborhood Healthcare Centers, Inc. (2009); Public Servant of the Year award by Community Shares of Mid-Ohio (2011); AMVETS Department of Ohio Legislator; Who’s Who Black Columbus Community Service Award; Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (2013); Greater Columbus Basketball Legends (GCBLA) Leadership Award (2019); People Like Me Project Inc.’s Lifetime Achiever Award (2023); Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) – Columbus Chapter 2023 Community Service Award; Brightside Academy’s Ezra Beren’s Drum Major for Education Award (2023); the first-ever Distinguished Alumni Award from Leadership Ohio (2023); Mahogany Columbus Class of Central Ohio’s Most Influential Men of Color (2024); Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging’s Elected Official Advocacy Award (2024); and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s Legislator of the Year Award (2024). In 2015, Craig had the distinguished honor of being inducted into the Military Order of the Purple Heart for his continuous support of veterans. Craig also received the prestigious award representing USARYIS at the 9th Annual Gold Plate Dinner while serving in the U.S. Army.

Senator Craig and his wife, Linda, are the proud parents of four children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Craig serves as an Associate Minister at the First Church of God and continues his dedication to Ohioans in his new role as Assistant Minority Leader in the Ohio Senate.

Contact Senator Hearcel F. Craig:

Minority Whip – Kent Smith – Senate District 15. The Minority Whip is elected by all members of the Senate and is responsible for monitoring legislation and securing votes for legislation on the floor for the minority party.

State Senator Kent Smith currently represents Ohio’s 21st Senate District – having been elected to the Ohio Senate in 2022. Prior to his service in the Senate, Smith served four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives (from 2015-2022). He joined the Ohio General Assembly after serving Euclid, Ohio as a Member of the Euclid Board of Education from 2002 – 2013. In his 12 years on the Euclid School Board, Senator Smith never missed a meeting. As a Euclid School Board Member, he was a four-time winner of the “Award of Achievement” which is awarded annually by the Ohio School Boards Association to less than three percent of all School Board Members in Ohio.

Senator Smith graduated from Miami University in 1988 and earned his Master of Science in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University in 2001. His master’s degree thesis – which was written in 2001 – was about the emerging threat of Predatory Lending and the Subprime Market. He also co-authored the first Predatory Lending Report by Policy Matters Ohio in 2002. Following his master’s degree studies, he sought his Ph.D. at Cleveland State University in Economic Development.

In late 2019, prior to the COVID pandemic, Senator Smith was admitted into the Public Leadership Credential program offered by Harvard’s Kennedy School.  Senator Smith completed the coursework during 2020 and 2021.  He finished the program’s Capstone requirement in January 2023 and graduated from the program in May 2023.

Senator Smith serves as the Ranking Member on the Senate Energy and Local Government Committees. He also serves on the Senate Education, Judiciary, Public Utilities, Rules and Reference, and Transportation Committees.

Throughout his time in the State House, he served as the Ranking Member on the House Public Utilities (134th and 133rd GA), Financial Institutions (133rd GA), Financial Institutions, Housing, and Urban Development (132nd GA), and Economic & Workforce Development (131st GA) Committees. He also served on the House Higher Education and Career Readiness, Technology and Innovation, Education, Commerce and Labor, and Rules & Reference Committees. During his first term in the Ohio Senate (135th GA) he served as the Ranking Member on the Senate Energy and Public Utilities, Financial Institutions and Technology, and Ways and Means Committees. He also served on the Senate Judiciary, Transportation, and Rules and Reference Committees.

Representative Smith holds four core operating principles that help guide his work as a State Senator. They are:

  1. We all do better when we all do better.
  2. All of Ohio’s children today are all of Ohio’s future tomorrow.
  3. Ohio’s economy will grow from equal parts innovation and opportunity.
  4. I am going to show up, do the work, and fight for those who sent me to Columbus.

As an example of the fourth principle, as a Representative during the 133rd General Assembly, there were 421 votes cast on the Ohio House Floor. Kent Smith was present and cast his vote on behalf of the 8th House District for every single vote.

In 2017, he was one of three Ohio State Representatives, and one of 37 overall, to receive a fellowship for the 2017 Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development conducted by the Council of State Governments (CSG) at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Since 2019, Senator Smith has served on the Advisory Board for Rust Belt Rising where he is a Resident Economic Expert. Additionally, Smith currently serves as the Ohio State Lead for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL), a position he also previously held in 2018 and 2020. He serves on three multi-state legislative caucuses: CSG’s Great Lakes Legislative Caucus, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Labor and Economic Development Standing Committee, and the NCSL Task Force on Cyber Security.

Since 2006, Senator Smith has been the head of the Euclid Democratic Party. In addition, he works as a roller derby announcer for Burning River Roller Derby in Cleveland. He joined Burning River in 2008 and from 2010 to 2020, he also announced for The Chicago Outfit. He has called hundreds of bouts across the Midwest. In 2018, he was one of 15 American roller derby voices selected to help announce the Roller Derby World Cup in Manchester, England.

Prior to joining the Ohio General Assembly, Senator Smith worked for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, which included an assignment with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and at four Northeast Ohio nonprofit organizations.

He is eager to use his unique perspective and professional experience to improve the quality of life for the people of the 21st Ohio Senate District and working families across the state.

Contact Senator Kent Smith:

Assistant Minority Whip – Dr. Beth Liston – Senate District 16. The Assistant Minority Whip is elected by all members of the Senate and is responsible for assisting the minority whip in monitoring legislation and securing votes for legislation on the floor for the minority party.

Dr. Beth Liston is serving her first term in the Ohio Senate after serving three terms with the Ohio House of Representatives. She represents northern Franklin County including Hilliard, Dublin, Worthington, Westerville, New Albany, Gahanna, and parts of the City of Columbus.

She began her career in medicine, earning her MD and PhD at the Ohio State University and subsequently training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Yale New Haven Hospital. Upon completing her residencies, Dr. Liston joined the faculty at Ohio State in 2006. Since that time, she has worked clinically as a hospitalist caring for adults and children in the inpatient setting. She is a Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Pediatrics with significant involvement in medical student education and advocacy.

Senator Liston first ran for office in 2018 to bring a better understanding of the impact of policy on health and wellness to the Ohio General Assembly. She is passionate about ensuring access to affordable high-quality health care for everyone.  Senator Liston believes in public education, economic opportunity for all Ohioans, and a state government that works for people.

Senator Liston is the ranking member on the Health and Medicaid Committees. She also serves on Agriculture & Natural Resources, Financial Institutions & Insurance, Rules and Reference, Small Business and Economic Opportunity, Ways & Means, and Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee.

In the community, Senator Liston is past-president of the Columbus Medical Association. She lives in the Dublin area with her husband and their two children.

Contact Senator Dr. Beth Liston:

Simon Dallas, Executive Director