Three candidates are seeking the 68th Ohio House District Republican nomination in the March 6 primary election.

On the ballot are Jeff Furr, 51, Jason Rogers, 40, and Margaret Ann Ruhl, 55. Ruhl currently represents of the 90th District, which the 68th District replaced in pending legislative redistricting.

The winner will run against the Democratic primary winner in November.

Furr, of Utica, is married and has six children. He is a lifelong Ohio resident.

A patent, trademark and intellectual property attorney, Furr has a law degree and an advanced degree in taxation from Capital University and an master’s and bachelor’s in computer and informational science from Ohio State University. He graduated from Johnstown High School.

He has served as a member of Johnstown City Council.

Furr said he wants to bring change and common sense back to the Statehouse.

“We need true Reagan Republicans who believe in protecting the middle class, having lower taxes and smaller government. Now is not the time for career politicians. ... We need someone who will support our police and firefighters who protect us. It is time for a small business owner to address the state’s issues.”

Rogers and his wife, Twila, of Centerburg, have been married for 18 years and have three children. He is a lifelong Ohio resident.

A biomedical engineering service manager, Rogers earned an associate degree in electrical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering.

He held office as a member of the Centerburg school board and as chairman of the Hilliar Township Zoning Board of Appeals.

Rogers said, “The state uses our tax money and makes decisions without educating themselves and without regard of consequences. They make alternative programs for schools, but what we need is money to pay for teachers so that we keep school(s) viable for students. They misled the public (saying) they did not take money from the schools to balance the budget. I am tired of the political machine working for itself and not for the public.”

Ruhl is single, has no children and lives in Mount Vernon. She is a lifelong Ohio resident.

A graduate of Fredericktown High School, Ruhl served as Knox County auditor from 1995 to 2009, and Mount Vernon city auditor from 1983 to 1995.

Ruhl said, “I had accomplished all that I wanted as Knox County auditor. The state representative before me was term-limited and the Republican Party asked me to consider running. I prayed and talked with my family and made the decision to run.”

The most pressing issue facing Ohio is jobs, Furr said.

“(The issue of) jobs is the key to everything and needs more focus,” Furr said. “We need to grow Ohio with good-paying jobs with benefits.”

Furr said hiring would be encouraged by providing tax credits to employers for tax payments that their employees make, removing any “job-killing regulations” and developing an “easier company creation processes and a business-friendly tax structure.

“We also need to keep the cost of an education low, so those who want to go to college can afford to go to college,” Furr said.

For Rogers, the priority is “properly balancing the budget.”

“I plan on helping to fix the budget by doing what we do at home and at work,” Rogers said. “Reduce spending, reduce waste, and to help bring jobs to Ohio to raise the tax base.”

For Ruhl, “the economy is the most pressing issue.

“I am working with local companies and changing the laws to help companies expand,” she said. “Also, I’m working with individuals wanting to start a business by making it easier to do so, again looking at the current laws and making some changes to help them.”

Furr said his vision for the state is “to make it the crown jewel of the country.

“I want to make it a place where people can find good paying jobs with good benefits for companies that are prospering; a place where taxes are low. We can make it happen, but we need people in the legislature who are from the private sector and who are not career politicians looking for the next election or office. Our founding fathers never meant politics to be a career,” he said.

Rogers said he wants to see the state “become an economic powerhouse in the United States.”

“We have the resources, the agricultural, the factories, and the correct population demographics to become a powerhouse,” he said.

Ruhl said her vision for the state is for it to “stay a diverse state with agriculture, manufacturing and education with retail to help make it a great place to live, work, play and worship.”

Asked if the state needs more budget cuts, Furr said, “The state does not need to make more cuts to the budget but the budget must be reviewed to make sure that taxpayers’ hard-earned money is not wasted.”

Rogers did not respond to the question, saying only that reducing spending is a pressing issue for the state.

Ruhl said, “I think we, the current legislature and governor, have done a great job in making the cuts needed to balance the budget. I don’t want to see more cuts, but maybe rearranging our priorities. I believe we are on the right track.”

Asked if the state needs to increase its revenue, Furr said, “Adding more jobs will bring in more tax revenue to the state and increase consumer spending. The key is jobs and that is what the legislature and state government should be focusing on.”

Rogers said the best way to increase revenue is to encourage economic growth.

“We need to create an environment for companies to want to move to Ohio. This will increase our work force which will increase our tax base,” Rogers said.

Ruhl said, “I don’t think we need to increase revenue as much as support our businesses and get people working. Working people spend money (which) helps the economy and helps the local entities.”