Lorain Councilman announces candidacy for Ohio House

LORAIN – A Lorain councilman has thrown his hat in the ring to represent the city and surrounding communities at the state level. Dan Nutt, D-4th Ward, announced his candidacy for Ohio House District 53. The seat is currently held by State Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, who is term-limited at the end of next year. Nutt plans to appear on the Democratic primary ballot in May 2026 in a bid to replace Miller in the statehouse. If elected, Nutt would take office in January 2027 for a two-year term. Nutt did not seek reelection to his Ward 4 City Council seat this year. His current two-year term ends in December. When he announced plans not to run again for City Council, Nutt at the time cited family and his small-business obligations. On Tuesday, he said in the months since he has started to wind down a lot of his businesses and things have settled down with his children. Nutt included his time on Council, chairing the Finance Committee and Building and Lands Committee, and his service as Amherst Rotary Club president in his resume to lead the House district that includes Lorain, Amherst and Amherst Township. "I see a lot of our democracy being eroded all around us and I'm not seeing the fight that needs to occur for people who live in Ohio, for people who live in the 53rd — for my friends, my neighbors, my family," Nutt said. "That really concerns me and was a big push to make this step." If elected, Nutt pledged to focus on supporting local communities by pushing state funding there and creating property tax reform that helps homeowners and protects schools. He also plans to push for an end to gerrymandered districting and campaign finance reforms. "I feel like you can't just run for these positions or hold these positions and talk about what you care about, you actually have to do the hard work and fight for them … I feel like we're in a new world of politics and the old way of going along to get along does not work," Nutt said. "... I am excited, it is a little daunting … but I think the thing I enjoy most is the Rotary feel, it's the service above self — you do it because you know it's what's right." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.