Johnathan Newman
Johnathan Newman | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 5, 1968 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Union University (BA); Mid‑America Baptist Theological Seminary (MA) |
| Profession | Pastor |
Johnathan Newman (born July 5, 1968) is an American Christian pastor and Republican Party politician serving as the member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 80th district since January 2025.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Newman earned bachelor’s degrees in theology and sociology from Union University in Tennessee and a master’s degree in divinity from Mid‑America Baptist Theological Seminary.[2]
Religious and community leadership
[edit]Since the late 1990s, Newman has served as founding senior pastor of Koinos Church in Troy, Ohio.[1] He has also been a certified marriage and family counselor and received the 2017 Dietrich Bonhoeffer Award from the Center for Christian Virtue for his pro‑life advocacy.[1][3]
Political career
[edit]Election
[edit]In November 2024, Newman was elected to represent Ohio’s newly created House District 80, defeating Democrat Melissa VanDyke with 74.9% of the vote.[4][2]
He was sworn into office on January 8, 2025.[5]
Committee assignments and legislation
[edit]Newman serves as vice-chair of the House Agriculture Committee and is also a member of the Community Revitalization, Education, and Transportation committees.[1]
He participated in passage of the state operating budget, supported the Agriculture Appreciation Act (HB 65), sponsored legislation on annexation procedures, and backed a resolution urging repeal of the Johnson Amendment.[5]
Abortion legislation
[edit]In June 2025, Newman co-sponsored the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, a proposed bill that would grant full legal personhood to fertilized embryos and criminalize abortion as homicide.[6]
Medical researchers and fertility experts have noted that a majority of fertilized embryos do not survive to birth. Peer-reviewed studies estimate that at least 50%, and in many cases over 70%, of embryos are lost before or shortly after implantation in natural human reproduction.[7][8]
In clinical settings such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), only 40–50% of fertilized eggs develop into blastocysts suitable for transfer. Even when transferred, “good” quality embryos result in live births less than 50% of the time.[9]
Critics argue that defining all fertilized embryos as legal persons, despite the high rate of natural embryonic loss, introduces legal and biological inconsistencies. They point out that natural processes such as miscarriage—which account for most embryo loss—are unaddressed by the legislation, raising concerns about the bill's practical and ethical implications.[10] He criticized the 2023 constitutional amendment (Issue 1), stating, “I think the passage of Issue 1 ... was the worst mistake Ohio ever made,” and acknowledged the tension between constituent will and his views.[11]
Public profile
[edit]During the 2024 campaign, local media featured Newman’s pastoral background and community leadership in their coverage of the open-seat contest.[4] His legislative activity has attracted both state-wide and local attention.
Personal life
[edit]Newman and his wife Jeni have three adult children.[12]
Electoral history
[edit]| Date | Office | Result |
|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2024 | Ohio House District 80 | Johnathan Newman (R) – 74.9%, Melissa VanDyke (D) – 25.1%[2] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Johnathan Newman Biography". Ohio House of Representatives.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ a b c "Johnathan Newman". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ "Troy Pastor Moves into New Season of Ministry". Southern Baptist Convention of Ohio. 2025-03-19. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ a b "Election 2024: Newman, VanDyke vie for open Ohio House seat". Dayton Daily News. 2024-10-25. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ a b "Newman Sworn in to Serve Ohio's 80th House District". Ohio House of Representatives. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Buchanan, Susan (2025-06-11). "Anti-abortion lawmakers draft legislation to criminalize abortion in Ohio". Ohio Capital Journal.
- ^ Jarvis, George E. (2016). "Early embryo mortality in natural human reproduction: What the data say". F1000Research. 5 (3): 447–463. doi:10.12688/f1000research.8937.1. PMC 5088355. PMID 27830052.
- ^ Wilcox, Allen J.; Weinberg, Clarice R.; O'Connor, John F. (1988). "Incidence of early loss of pregnancy". New England Journal of Medicine. 319 (4): 189–194. doi:10.1056/NEJM198807283190401. PMID 3393170.
- ^ "Embryo Grading and Success Rates". Natalist. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Burns, Jessica Mason Pieklo (2022-05-06). "Personhood Laws Are a Logical—and Legal—Nightmare". Rewire News Group.
- ^ Koza, Staff (2024-10-25). "2 Dayton-area lawmakers aim to outlaw abortion in Ohio". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ "Johnathan Newman". Gongwer News Service-Ohio.
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