Republican Justin Griffis of Sidney has announced his candidacy to represent the people of the 85th House District of Ohio. The district covers parts of Shelby and Logan Counties, and all of Champaign County. The Republican primary election will be held on May 8, 2018.
Urbana Republican Nino Vitale is the current representative.
Griffis is a life-long resident of Sidney and a 2007 graduate of Sidney High School. He played college football for the University of Dayton and graduated with a degree in Political Science in 2011. Griffis then went on to law school and received his Juris Doctor degree in 2015. He is currently a partner at the law firm of Kerrigan, Boller, Griffis & Link Co., L.P.A., in Sidney. He practices in the areas of criminal defense, domestic relations and civil litigation.
Griffis said he is a firm believer in conservative values. He is pro-life, a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, a fiscal conservative and a proponent of small government.
“The size of Ohio’s government has expanded over the past couple of decades and has become extremely centralized. It is time to create a smaller, more efficient state government. Tax money needs to be taken out of Columbus and allocated to the counties, municipalities and townships that need those funds to financially support local projects and programs,” he said.
One of the first problems Griffis said he would tackle is the opioid addiction epidemic.
“As a criminal defense attorney, I have represented many individuals afflicted with opioid addiction,” he said. “The seriousness of this epidemic cannot be overstated. This is one of the problems I would get to work on right way. I would take it upon myself to spearhead legislation in an effort to combat this terrible problem. The first thing I would aim to do is have the 911 Good Samaritan Law amended or abolished. Addicts should not be given the opportunity to avoid prosecution. It is time to stop coddling these individuals and time to start showing them some tough love.”
“I am running as the homegrown candidate that will truly represent the interests, beliefs and values of this district,” he added. “As a former offensive lineman for the Dayton Flyer football team, I spent my athletic career in the trenches doing a thankless job and I enjoyed every minute of it. That is the type of attitude that I would bring to Columbus. I want to roll up my sleeves, get in the trenches and get to work for the people of Shelby, Logan and Champaign Counties. I want to serve the people of this area and be an agent for the local governments.”
Griffis is a member of the Sidney Rotary Club and is the legal advisor for the Sidney High School Mock Trial Team.
