SIDNEY – A former member of the Ohio House of Representatives filed his petition Wednesday for a seat in the Ohio Senate.

John Adams, R-Sidney, had announced his candidacy for the 12th District Senate seat in March. He took the next step in the election process Wednesday when he filed his petition with the Allen County Board of Elections.

Adams is seeking the seat currently held by Keith Faber, R-Celina. Faber’s term will end in December 2016 and term limits prevent him from seeking re-election.

State spending and taxes are two of the main concerns Adams has with the current office holders in Columbus.

“If you look at state spending, I don’t think we’ve done a good job,” said Adams. “The state’s spending is up 36 percent but the consumer price index is up only 10 percent.

“The state spending needs to be less and the money needs to be kept in the pockets of the citizens and not in the coffers of Columbus,” said Adams.

Adams has been out of office for a year as he termed out of his House of Representative seat in December 2014.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done to make Ohio a better state to live in,” said Adams.

A recent survey by “Forbes” ranked the 25 worst tax states in the nation, said Adams.

“Ohio was ranked 18th,” said Adams. “I think there’s a lot of work to be done to get the state competitive with the southern states.”

Adams, who refers to himself as a “champion of conservative values,” is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and former State House Whip.

In his press release stating he had filed his petition, Adams said he faces an opponent from the establishment coffers.

“It’s simple,” said Adams. “I’m not a pawn of establishment politicians. Unlike my opponent, Matt Huffman, whose tax and spend policies cost taxpayers billions of dollars, and forfeiture of the Heartbeat Bill cost the lives of 20,000 babies, I defend all Ohioans’ Right to Life, Liberty and Property. I will continue to lead the fight for West Central Ohio’s values, and have an indisputable record to back it up.”

Adams added to that statement Thursday morning.

“The establishment in Columbus doesn’t want John Adams back,” he said. “I make sure the voters know what’s going on in Columbus.”

Several conservative groups and leaders announced support for Adams’s candidacy for the 12th District.

“John Adams’ efforts to pass the pro-life Heartbeat Bill were heroic,” said Janet (Fologer) Porter, founder of Faith2Action. “I wholeheartedly endorse John Adams for State Senate.”

Heidi Huber, founder of Ohioans Against Common Core said, “John Adams served as a statesman in the Ohio House, a rare commodity in Columbus. Putting principle before politics, he courageously took the lead role in work to repeal Common Core. From serving the discharge petition to fighting for repeal amendments in the final days of session, he stood for Ohio’s children. It’s my privilege and pleasure to endorse John Adams for State Senate.

Conservative Republican Leadership Committee has endorsed his candidacy.

“You can tell that John Adams was a Navy SEAL! He fought valiantly for conservative values, even standing up to House Leadership to pass pro-life legislation.” Lori Viars states.

Adams served in the Ohio House of Representatives 85th District for four terms. Among his achievements are passage of the “Founding Fathers Bill” (HB167), serving the discharge petition to force the House to repeal Common Core when establishment Republicans tabled the bill in committee. He later earned the title of “Pro-Life MVP” for his work on the Heartbeat Bill (HB248). ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, named him one of six national Legislators of the Year for his bill to phase out the personal income tax. Adams was recognized as one of 17 nationwide by WATCHDOG.org for his leadership on conservative legislation.

Adams and his wife, Tara, are the parents of seven children.

Ohio’s Senate District 12 includes all or parts of Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Logan, Mercer and Shelby counties.

To learn more about Adams, visit www.AdamsForOhio.com.