Nino Vitale
A. Nino Vitale (born August 24, 1970) is an American politician who currently serves in the Ohio House of Representatives from the 85th House district.
Nino Vitale | |
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Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 85th district | |
Assumed office January 6, 2015 | |
Preceded by | John Adams |
Personal details | |
Born | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | August 24, 1970
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Lilli Vitale |
Children | 5 |
Education | Ohio State University (BD)[1] Franklin University (MBA) |
Signature |
Early life
Nino Vitale was born on August 24, 1970, in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree where he was a member of the Ohio State University Marching Band for four years.[2] He later attended Franklin University where he graduated with a Master of Business Administration. In 1998, he married and currently has five children.[3]
Ohio House of Representatives
Elections
In 2014, incumbent Representative John Adams, who represented the 85th district in the state House of Representatives, was unable to run for reelection due to term limits.[4] Vitale won the Republican primary and won in the general election with no opposition.
In 2016, the Ohio House Republican Organizational Caucus did not endorse him, along with Paul Zeltwanger and Wes Retherford, as he would not participate in the activities of the committee.[5] In the general election he faced no opposition. In 2018, he defeated Democratic nominee Garrett Baldwin, a high school senior, with over seventy percent of the popular vote.[6]
Tenure
In 2015, he voted against the proposed state budget as it included expanded Medicaid from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[7] After Obergefell v. Hodges Vitale proposed a religious freedom bill to allow religious officials to not perform same-sex marriages.[8] In 2016, he voted against a bill making cockfighting a felony offense.[9]
In 2020, resolutions to declare racism a public health crisis were submitted in the state House and Senate. On June 2, 2020, Vitale stated that he was darker than most of the members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.[10]
He currently chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.[11][12][13]
Mask controversy
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vitale refused to wear a mask, as recommended by various health agencies and Ohio governor Mike DeWine, citing his religious beliefs.[14]
"This is the greatest nation on earth founded on Judeo-Christian Principles. One of those principles is that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That image is seen the most by our face. I will not wear a mask,”
He further criticized DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director, Amy Acton, on Twitter, stating that the push for masks was a result of fear and propaganda, calling Acton an "unelected globalist", for which he received criticism for using an anti-Semitic slur.[14][15]
Vitale previously drew controversy after appearing several times in interviews with an anti-vaccination group, Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom, where he claimed one of his children had a vaccine injury.[16]
On June 25, 2020, Vitale posted a video recording onto YouTube to demonstrate the negative effects of wearing masks. In the video, Vitale showed three young people placing an industry-grade gas detection unit under their masks and in front of their noses and mouths as they breathe. Vitale stated that the alarm triggered by placing the unit inside the masks indicates a decline in oxygenation and that the subsequent measurement on the unit's screen falls below the OSHA threshold for acceptable oxygenation.[17]
In July, he told his constituents not to get tested for Coronavirus.[18]
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nino Vitale | 7,098 | 54.34% | ||
Republican | C. Douglas Chamberlain | 4,457 | 34.12% | ||
Republican | Robert Luckey III | 1,508 | 11.54% | ||
Total votes | 13,063 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nino Vitale | 23,704 | 100.00% | +0.00% | |
Total votes | 13,063 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nino Vitale (incumbent) | 37,416 | 100.00% | +0.00% | |
Total votes | 37,416 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nino Vitale (incumbent) | 8,817 | 70.52% | ||
Republican | Justin G. Griffis | 1,364 | 10.91% | ||
Republican | Joe Ratermann | 1,240 | 9.92% | ||
Republican | Rochiel V. Foulk | 1,082 | 8.65% | ||
Total votes | 12,503 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nino Vitale (incumbent) | 28,608 | 72.81% | -27.19% | |
Democratic | Garrett Baldwin | 10,681 | 27.19% | +27.19% | |
Total votes | 39,289 | 100.00% |
References
- "Student wants incumbent's seat". Springfield News-Sun. October 20, 2018. p. B1. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "A. Nino Vitale - House District 85". Archived from the original on May 6, 2020.
- "Meet the Vitale Family". Archived from the original on May 6, 2020.
- "Few choices slated for ballot". Springfield News-Sun. February 10, 2014. p. 9. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ohio GOP snubs Mason-area rep". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 5, 2015. p. A11. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Rep. Nin Vitale of Urbana re-elected to Ohio House seat". Springfield News-Sun. December 5, 2015. p. B6. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Budget". Dayton Daily News. April 23, 2015. p. 8. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Bill would protect pastors from officiating gay weddings". Chillicothe Gazette. July 1, 2015. p. A3. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Bill passes Ohio House making cockfighting a felony offense". Chillicothe Gazette. February 29, 2016. p. A4. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Urbana lawmaker says he's 'darker' than members of black caucus". Springfield News-Sun. June 11, 2020. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020.
- "Energy and Natural Resources Committee | The Ohio House of Representatives". www.ohiohouse.gov.
- Naymik, Mark (May 6, 2019). "State Rep. Nino Vitale offers ignorant assessment of the poor and media in bizarre email about energy bill". cleveland.com.
- Pelzer, Jeremy (April 26, 2019). "Lawmaker argues low-income Ohioans should pay their own energy-efficiency costs". cleveland.com.
- Folley, Aris (May 4, 2020). "GOP Ohio state lawmaker refuses to wear face mask because faces are the 'likeness of God'". TheHill.
- Zelman, Brett (May 1, 2020). "Ohio State Rep. Nino Vitale Calls Dr. Amy Acton, Who is Jewish, a Globalist". Cleveland Scene.
- Lambe, Jerry (May 4, 2020). "GOP State Lawmaker Came Up with a Really Unique Religious Excuse for Not Wearing a Mask". Law & Crime.
- Nino, Vitale (June 25, 2020). "!! DANGER !!Test Shows Oxygen Levels Drop into the DANGER ZONE FIVE SECONDS After Putting on a Mask". YouTube. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- "'STOP GETTING TESTED' For Coronavirus, Ohio Politician Tells Constituents". NPR. July 9, 2020. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020.
- "OH State House 85 - R Primary 2014". OurCampaigns. February 5, 2016.
- "OH State House 85 2014". OurCampaigns. January 9, 2015.
- "OH State House 85 2016". OurCampaigns. December 3, 2016.
- "OH State House 85 - R Primary 2018". OurCampaigns. June 11, 2018.
- "OH State House 85 2018". OurCampaigns. December 7, 2018.