Former State Representative (2001 to 2008, 2015 to 2022)

Tom Brinkman Jr. is a Republican who served in the Ohio House from 2001 to 2008 and again from 2015 to 2022, leaving both times because of term limits¹. He founded the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes in 1999, worked in printing sales, and holds a history and political science degree from George Washington University¹. He and his wife raised six children in Mount Lookout².

Where they stand 3 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Cosponsored House Bill 598, the Human Life Protection Act, which prohibits abortion in Ohio except to prevent the death of the pregnant person or a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. (2022) source
  • His campaign website says he has a 100 percent pro-life voting record (page written for the 2019 to 2020 legislative session). (2020) source
  • His campaign website describes the 2019 heartbeat ban as allowing an abortion after a heartbeat is detected only to save the life of the mother. (2019) source
• GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • An older page on his campaign website (it refers to bills of the 2019 to 2020 legislative session) supports constitutional carry so that licensing is optional, supports a stand-your-ground bill, and opposes red flag legislation as an attack on due process. (2020) source
  • Joint primary sponsor of House Bill 178 in 2019 to let people carry a concealed handgun without a license. (2019) source
  • Joint primary sponsor of House Bill 227 in 2021 to let adults 21 and older carry a concealed handgun without a license. (2021) source
  • Voted no on House passage of Senate Bill 215, which lets adults who may legally own a gun carry a concealed handgun without a permit (58 to 36). Only two House Republicans voted no. (2022-03-02) source
• Election rulesNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on House Bill 458, an elections bill that requires photo identification to vote, changes absentee voting rules and makes other election law changes (55 to 34). (2022-12-14) source

Said vs. did

• Guns: Said: He sponsored permitless carry bills in 2019 and 2021 and an older page on his campaign website supports constitutional carry¹⁰⁶⁵. Did: He voted no on House passage of Senate Bill 215, the permitless carry bill that became law, on March 2, 2022; only one other House Republican voted no⁷.

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.