Bob Gibbs

Bob Gibbs
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Zack Space
Constituency	18th district (2011–2013) 7th district (2013–present)
Member of the Ohio Senate from the 22nd district
In office January 5, 2009 – December 31, 2010
Preceded by	Ron Amstutz
Succeeded by	Larry Obhof
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 97th district
In office January 3, 2003 – December 31, 2008
Preceded by	Bryan Flannery
Succeeded by	Dave Hall
Personal details
Born	Robert Brian Gibbs (1954-06-14) June 14, 1954 (age 67) Peru, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jody Cox ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	3
Education	Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (AAS)
Website	House website

Robert Brian Gibbs^[1] (born June 14, 1954) is an American farmer and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 7th congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education, and agricultural career[]

Gibbs was born on June 14, 1954, in Peru, Indiana. His family moved to Cleveland in the 1960s, and Gibbs graduated from Bay Village Senior High School. In 1974, he graduated from the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute^[2] and moved to Lakeville, Ohio, where he co-founded Hidden Hollow Farms, Ltd. Formerly a producer of swine, Hidden Hollow Farms now produces corn and soybeans.^[3]

Gibbs served as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation,^[4] Ohio's largest agriculture organization, with over 210,000 members. He first joined the Ohio Farm Bureau board of trustees in 1985. Gibbs also served as a board member of the Farm Bureau Bank, the Ohio Livestock Coalition, the Ohio Cooperative Council, and the Ohio Farm Bureau Alliance. He was president of the Loudonville Farmers Equity Company^[5] in Loudonville, Ohio, where he served on the board for 12 years. Gibbs has also served as president of the Holmes County extension advisory committee, the Holmes County Farm Bureau, and as a supervisor for the Holmes County Soil & Water Conservation Service.^[6]

Ohio House of Representatives[]

Elections[]

Gibbs was elected to the Ohio General Assembly in 2002, defeating Democrat Tom Mason of Ashland for a newly drawn district in the Ohio House.^[7] He was reelected in 2004 in a rematch against Mason.^[8] In the 2006 election, Gibbs defeated Democratic nominee James P. Riley,^[9] a former township trustee from Sullivan, Ohio, with 60% of the vote. Gibbs began his third term in the Ohio House of Representatives on January 2, 2007, and ran for Ohio Senate in 2009 to fill the seat vacated by state senator Ron Amstutz due to term limits.

Tenure[]

In 2006 Gibbs was appointed a member of the special task force to study eminent domain and its use and application in Ohio. The committee spent most of the year studying the issue and issued its final report in August 2006 with recommendations to the General Assembly.^[10]

Committee assignments[]

During his last term Gibbs was chairman of the House ways and means committee. He was also a member of the agriculture & natural resources committee, financial institutions, real estate and securities committee, health care access and affordability committee, and the insurance committee.^{[citation needed]}

Ohio Senate[]

Elections[]

Gibbs won election to the Ohio Senate in 2008, and began his first term in 2009. On August 16, 2007, he announced his he candidacy for the 22nd district senate seat being vacated by the term-limited incumbent senator, Ron Amstutz. Gibbs originally expected to face a primary challenge from state representative Jim Carmichael, but Carmichael dropped out of the race on October 21 in order to run for Wayne County commissioner. In the general election Gibbs defeated Democratic nominee James E. Riley, a job/security representative for the U.A.W. international union, with 59% of the vote.^[11]

After winning election to Congress in 2010, Gibbs resigned from the Senate after serving half of one term.^[12]

U.S. House of Representatives[]

Elections[]

2010[]

Gibbs faced Democratic incumbent Zack Space and Constitution Party nominee Lindsey Sutton in the general election. He won the Republican primary in an 8-way field. Following close results and a recount, Gibbs was certified the winner on June 4, a month after the primary.^[13]

On November 2, Gibbs defeated Space in the general election by nearly 14%. Gibbs won 14 of the 16 counties in the district.^[14]

2012[]

After redistricting, Gibbs decided to run in the newly redrawn Ohio's 7th congressional district.^[15][16] He defeated Democratic nominee Joyce Healy-Abrams^[17] in the November general election.^[18]

2014[]

Gibbs was reelected to a third term unopposed.^[19]

2016[]

Gibbs was reelected to a fourth term, defeating Democrat Roy Rich and independent Dan Phillip with 64% of the vote.

2018[]

Gibbs was reelected to a fifth term, defeating Democrat Ken Harbaugh with 58.7% of the vote.

2020[]

Gibbs was reelected to a sixth term, defeating Democrat Quentin Potter and Libertarian Brandon Lape with 67.5% of the vote.

Tenure[]

On March 4, 2013, Gibbs introduced the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2013 (H.R. 935; 113th Congress), a bill that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and states authorized to issue a permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) from requiring a permit for some discharges of pesticides authorized for use under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).^[20][21] In 2018, Gibbs was supported by the Great America Committee, a political action committee registered by Vice President Mike Pence.^[22]

In December 2020, Gibbs was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated^[23] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.^[24][25][26]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Gibbs and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."^[27][28] New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Gibbs and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit, arguing that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that."^[29]

On January 7, 2021, Gibbs objected to the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results in Congress based on false claims of voter fraud.^[30]

Committee assignments[]

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment (chair)

Caucus memberships[]

• Republican Study Committee^[31]
• Republican Main Street Partnership^[32]
• Congressional Constitution Caucus^[33]
• Congressional Western Caucus^[34]

Personal life[]

Gibbs is married to Jody Cox of Wooster, Ohio. They have three children and are members of Nashville United Methodist Church in Nashville, Ohio.^{[citation needed]}

Electoral history[]

*In 2010, write-in candidate Mark Pitrone received 20 votes.

References[]

External links[]

• Congressman Bob Gibbs official U.S. House website
• Bob Gibbs for Congress
• Bob Gibbs at Curlie
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress