MOUNT VERNON — State Rep. Beth Lear and businessman Ryan Rivers are vying for the Republican nomination as state senator for the 19th District in the May 5 primary.
The 19th senate district includes Knox, Coshocton, Delaware, and Holmes counties.
Current Sen. Andrew Brenner is term-limited and cannot run for re-election.
The primary winner will face Democrat Janet Wagner in the November General Election.
Lear and Rivers are self-described conservatives. Both advocate for lower property taxes and favor audits as one way to root out and cut wasteful spending.
Both defend the Second Amendment, support law enforcement, and reside in Delaware County.
To acquaint citizens with the candidates, Knox Pages asked them to complete a questionnaire. Below are their responses.
Beth Lear
Lear earned a B.A. In international relations from The Ohio State University. She currently represents the 61st District in the Ohio House of Representatives.
How do you respond to those who say you are a career politician and are merely moving from one position to another to skirt term limits?
I’m in my second term, my third year of service, and I’m 59 years old. This is the first office I’ve been elected to, and I’ve not tried to climb the political ladder. I’m focused on doing the job the right way, and term limits aren’t an issue for me because I still have four years left that I could serve in the House.
Ultimately, I am running for senate to make a bigger impact. My opponent had his chance—four years in office—and voters rejected him decisively, finishing last in a four-way race despite outspending everyone else. Now he’s trying to climb the ladder to the State Senate after being voted out.
What are the three most pressing issues facing the state right now?
Energy and property taxes are crushing families. Even though inflation has cooled, the damage from Joe Biden and Barack Obama policies still shows up in higher energy bills and skyrocketing home values.
On the Energy Committee, I backed HB 15 to expand power generation in Ohio and let major users like data centers pay their own way instead of sticking residents with the bill. Paired with action from Donald Trump to shift excess energy costs off families, we are working to increase supply and bring prices down, not let them spiral further.
On property taxes, I refused to support a budget that handed $600 million to the Browns stadium while homeowners got nothing. We uncovered billions in excess cash sitting in school district accounts, some holding up to 300% of annual expenses. That is taxpayer money. I fought to cap those balances and return the excess to you, delivering $4.2 billion in relief.
While the Senate watered it down, the final plan still cuts taxes, moves to a 2.75% flat income tax, and delivers real savings this year for families in Delaware and Knox Counties. That is why I voted yes.
I am also taking on the root problem. I introduced HB 155 to ban DEI in schools and am working to overhaul school funding so it relies less or not at all on property taxes. That could cut homeowners’ bills by 30% to 80%.
What specific policies do you propose to respond to those challenges?
See above
In what areas do you see the most government waste, and what specific initiative do you propose to stop it?
We need to investigate for possible fraud in all taxpayer-funded programs including welfare, Medicaid, housing assistance, etc.
HB 26, which I co-sponsored, is a first step. NO taxpayer money should go to benefits for non-citizens. Legal immigrants who are not yet citizens should pay their own way. If we stop subsidizing benefits for noncitizens, especially illegals, Ohio will spend less.
All agencies should go through performance audits to determine where Ohio money is being spent. A new Doge Caucus that was created early in 2025 worked with Auditor Faber to expand the state auditor’s powers to more thoroughly investigate agency spending, but the administration was opposed. We also don’t need schools to be one-stop-shops for social services. That is overreach. Schools are for education, and they need to focus on that.
You advocate for a smaller state government. What trickle-down effect do you see on local municipalities if the state reduces programs, departments, and/or funding?
The state does too much already. Government’s job is to protect our rights, not provide charity except for those that are truly struggling and unable to provide for themselves.
Performance audits will help determine where there is waste, fraud and abuse. I also don’t believe we should send the problems to other entities. For example, these cuts should not crush our local governments’ abilities to provide essential services.
What is your solution to replace lost income through reducing property taxes?
The plan Rep. Hiner, Sen. Brenner, Rep. Thomas and I are working to replace school district property tax for owner occupied includes a multitude of ideas such as sales tax increase, closing some tax loopholes, possible fee increases for home sales and a statewide property tax on businesses – but all these remain in flux and will have to be approved by the majority. The goal is to provide the same amount of funding schools currently receive.
Your website states you will fight to stop government overreach in Ohio schools. What is one example of this overreach, and how would you counteract it?
Schools should not be providing social services or medical services. Schools are for educating students. The further schools go outside their mandate, the more it costs taxpayers. They need to focus on academics, not services or indoctrination such as DEI. We also need to focus on funding teachers and not administration.
What accomplishment are you most proud of during your tenure as state representative?
 The bills I’ve authored that have become law have all been substantive. The Never Alone Act is prohibiting hospitals and nursing homes from separating people from their loved ones like they did during COVID. Never again will we allow people to suffer and die alone, even during a health emergency. That policy was inhumane.
 The Protect All Students Act is a law we never should have needed if common sense were still common. Boys and girls in kindergarten through college can no longer legally share bathrooms, locker rooms or overnight accommodations in Ohio schools and universities. It is not safe for women and girls, it’s damaging to boys and young men, and it is not safe for students confused by culture or mental illness.
 Braden’s Law created the felony level crime of sextortion. When overseas criminals targeted a local teen, pretending they were a 15-year-old girl sending inappropriate pictures and enticing him to do likewise, they turn and demanded money the 15-year-old boy did not have. When threatened with exposure of his photos, he took his life. Thanks to activism by his family, a bill was drafted to expand prosecutorial authority, create the felony of sextortion and make it easier for families to access kids’ phones.
Why should voters trust you to represent them effectively?
I hope the voters will take the time to look at my actual record and not accept the gaslighting, individual facts taken out of context and outright lies my opponent and his big-money supporters are funding. The only way he can beat me is to destroy my reputation as a true conservative. My record proves who I am – veteran, wife, mother, grandmother. My endorsements prove I do what I say I’m going to do. I fight for my constituents now and will continue to represent them, not big money donors or political bosses.
Ryan Rivers
Rivers is a Central Ohio businessman who holds a communications degree from Ohio University. He has served as Orange Township trustee in Delaware County and is a past president of The Ohio Township Association.
What are the three most pressing issues facing the state right now?
Ohio is facing a property tax crisis that needs urgently addressed. The state must find ways to promote efficiency and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse of our taxpayer dollars. In turn, we can provide meaningful property tax relief.
Education is one of the key building blocks for our state. Ohio needs to adequately invest in public education and ensure choice for families. Career tech and joint vocational schools are great options for many students and should be prioritized.
Affordability is the most pressing issue facing Ohioans. Tax relief, spending cuts, and a focus on energy generation will go a long way to providing needed support.
What specific policies do you propose to respond to those challenges?
There are a variety of areas I will work on as a senator. First, tax reform is critical. Fixing the broken property tax system and providing substantial relief is a big priority.
Championing policies that support energy production will lower costs for Ohioans. And adequately funding education will alleviate the property tax issue as well as help our students transition to the workforce and keep them in Ohio.
How will you balance short-term needs with long-term planning?
The two are not mutually exclusive. We can reform and construct systems that provide immediate support for Ohioans but can stand the test of time. We need elected leaders with a strong business background, not career politicians.
You state you support jobs and investment while demanding accountability, transparency, and meaningful local input. What is meaningful local input? How do you weigh local input with the good of the state as a whole?
At the end of the day, politicians in Columbus should not force a community to transform without local support. There are a variety of tools in place that give local communities options. Those include zoning, incentives, grants, etc. The state should not be taking away tools but should find ways to enhance tools.
We want Ohio to be a prosperous state with economic growth. We need policies that allow that to occur, including a better tax structure, regulatory environment, etc. But how and where development takes place has to be a local decision.
You state too many Ohioans are being priced out of their homes by unsustainable property tax increases. What specific policy would you initiate to eliminate or reduce ‘being priced out of their homes?’
First, the state must own up to its fair share of funding public education. For far too long, communities have been over-reliant on property taxes to fund the system.
Second, we need to cap any increases that take place through revaluation.
Finally, we must examine how local governments are structured and funded to ensure efficiency.
What is your solution to replace lost income by reducing current property taxes?
Eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, duplication, inefficiency and ensure our education system is squarely driven by what’s best for students.
What trickle-down effect do you see on local municipalities if the state reduces programs, departments, and/or funding?
Ohio has one of the most burdensome local taxing structures in the country. A thoughtful and balanced look should take place about how best to ensure local communities have the funding they need to support critical services. However, every government (local, state, federal) should have a mindset that there is always room to improve efficiency.
In what area do you see the most government waste, and what specific initiative do you propose to stop it?
There is a lot of duplication and inefficiency in many of the services state and local government offers. A thorough review should yield plenty of results. Furthermore, we must do a better job overseeing public benefits. Strict work requirements, frequent audits, and other measures should be instituted to ensure these programs are only being utilized by those who need it most.
Why should voters trust you to represent them effectively?
I’ve spent my life in the private sector. I understand how businesses operate effectively and believe government needs to operate with the same mindset. Unlike my opponent, I haven’t spent decades in and around the Statehouse. It’s important that our elected leaders represent their constituents, not lobbyists and special interests in Columbus.
The Primary Election is May 5. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Early voting is underway at the Knox County Board of Elections, 104 E. Sugar St., Mount Vernon.
