Hearcel Craig sworn in as State Representative
Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) was officially sworn in to the Ohio House of Representatives Monday as State Representative to the 26th House District. Craig, elected to his first term in the House in November, will serve the citizens in eastern and southern parts of Columbus.
“I am excited and humbled to begin a new journey representing the 26th House District,” said Rep. Craig. “I will continue working hard for the people of Columbus at the Statehouse to create high-quality jobs, strengthen our neighborhoods and grow our local economy.”
As a recent Columbus City Councilman, Rep. Craig led the Veterans Affairs Committee to help meet the needs of veterans, service personnel and their families. He advocated for job creation, economic development, workforce development, access to health care, improved schools and greater access to public recreation centers. Rep. Craig previously served as a legislative liaison for the Ohio Department of Youth Services and director of recruitment and admissions for City Year, a program that recruits young adults to serve their communities. In addition to serving as a manager for JC Penny Corporate Insurance, he has also served as executive director of the Hilltop Civic Council.
Rep. Craig has served on the Southside Learning and Development Center’s Board of Trustees, the Ohio Hunger Task Force Board of Trustees, Columbus Cultural Arts Center Board of Trustees, as board chair for the Alliance for Cooperative Justice, board chair for the Franklin County Prevention Institute and chair of the State Education Committee for the Columbus Chapter of the NAACP. He currently serves on the board of the Military Veterans Resource Center.
Rep. Craig earned a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and completed graduate studies at Ashland Theological Seminary. He was an Executive Leadership Institute fellow through Cleveland State University and a leadership fellow through Boston University’s School of Public Health. He served in the United States Army from 1970-1972.