State Senator Chris Widener represents the 10th Senate District, which includes Madison, Clark and Greene counties. Before coming to the Senate, he served three terms as the State Representative for the 84th House District. An architect by trade, Chris brings strong interpersonal skills, a dedicated work ethic and a keen attention to detail to his job as a legislator. He engages with witnesses in committee and his fellow senators about key issues. He spends hours researching important bills. And, he has a genuine passion for public service and a dedication to doing what is best for the people of the 10th District and the future success of the region.

Senator Widener serves as chair of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, which helps shape policy that impacts energy production in Ohio, as well as the accessibility, affordability and reliability of electricity, natural gas and telephone service in the state. He also brings a wealth of experience from his days as chair of the House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee to his current position on the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, which helps write the state budget bill every two years. In addition, he sits on the  Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee and the Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee.

Chris also serves on the Development Financing Advisory Council, which approves loans and grants for economic development projects across Ohio, and he was recently appointed to the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which was established to help remove barriers to educational success faced by military children because of frequent moves or deployment by their parents.

Throughout his tenure in the Legislature, Senator Widener has championed policy that promotes limited government, low taxes, strong schools and works to encourage business development and job creation in our local communities. Most recently, he won support in the Senate for Senate Concurrent Resolution 15, which sends a message to leaders in Washington that a federal cap and trade energy policy would be a tremendous detriment to economic growth in Ohio, impact thousands of Ohio jobs and saddle Ohio consumers with higher energy bills.

Senator Widener has received a number of awards over the years for his service in the Legislature. In 2004, he was named Legislator of the Year by the Ohio Surveyors and Professional Engineers and the Central Ohio Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was recognized as a Watchdog of the Treasury by the United Conservatives of Ohio for his fiscally-responsible voting record and a Friend of the OARDC and OSU Extension for his strong support of agriculture. In addition, he was inducted into the Greenon High School Hall of Fame in 2007.

Outside of Columbus, Chris is active in several organizations, including the Ohio Township Association, Springfield Rotary Club, the Ohio Farm Bureau, the National Rifle Association and several local chambers of commerce. He is also a member of High Street United Methodist Church.

A lifelong resident of Clark County, Senator Widener was raised on a farm, which his family continues to operate today. After earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a certificate in historic preservation from the University of Cincinnati, he worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a civil service architect and as the base’s first full-time historic preservation officer. Later, he founded his own architectural firm in Springfield, which he has operated successfully for the past 18 years. He was also elected twice to the Mad River-Greene Local Board of Education prior to beginning his service in the Ohio House.

Chris has been married to Sally, a dental hygienist, for more than 20 years. They live in Springfield with their two children.

The Ohio Statehouse

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Phone: (614) 466-3780

SD10@senate.state.oh.us