Sean O'Brien (born August 19, 1968) is a Judge of the

Trumbull County Trumbull County is a county in the far northeast portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 201,977. Its county seat and largest city is Warren, which developed industry along the Mahoning River. Trumbull Coun ...

Court of Common Pleas in Ohio. Judge O'Brien is a former Democratic member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of t ...

who represented the 32nd district. The district includes all of

Ashtabula Ashtabula ( ) is the most populous city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the mouth of the Ashtabula River, on Lake Erie, northeast of Cleveland. At the 2020 census, the city had 17,975 people. Like many other cities in the ...

and Trumbull counties, as well as a portion of

Geauga County Geauga County ( ) is a county located in the northeast portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,397. The county seat and largest city is Chardon. The county is named for an Onondaga or Seneca language ...

(including the City of Chardon; but excluding Chardon Township). O'Brien formerly served in the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

from 2011 to 2016.

Life and career

A lifelong resident of the

Mahoning Valley The Youngstown–Warren, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, typically known as the Mahoning Valley, is a metropolitan area in Northeast Ohio with Youngstown, Ohio, at its center. According to the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau, ...

, O'Brien went on to graduate from

Edinboro University Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro (abbreviated as PennWest Edinboro) is a campus of Pennsylvania Western University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. The campus had an enrollment of 2,259 as of fall 2024. History PennWest Edinboro was foun ...

before earning his law degree from the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...

. O'Brien founded the Trumbull County Community Foundation, an economic development not-for-profit. He is married with two daughters. O'Brien was elected to the

in November 2010 with 64.53% of the vote, defeating Republican Geno Capone and

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

Werner Lange. He won reelection in 2012, garnering 72.46% of the vote, and again in 2014 with 66%. Prior to his election O'Brien served as assistant prosecutor in

Ohio Senate

In 2016, ten-year incumbent

Capri Cafaro Capri Silvestri Cafaro (born November 21, 1977) is a former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 32nd District from 2007 to 2016. From the Mahoning Valley, Cafaro served three terms as an Ohio ...

was ineligible to run for re-election to the

due to term-limits. O'Brien made it known fairly early that he intended to succeed her. While initially he faced competition for the nomination from

Tom Letson Tom Letson (born September 29, 1952 in Columbus, Ohio) is a former Democratic member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 64th District from 2007 to 2014. Life and career Letson was born in Columbus, but shortly after his birt ...

, Letson eventually dropped out. In the primary, he faced political newcomer Kristen Rock, but defeated her easily 62% to 38% to take the nomination. While

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won the district in 2016, O'Brien easily defeated Republican Robert Allen, 56% to 44% to take the seat in the general election. He was sworn in on January 3, 2017. On November 3, 2020 O'Brien lost re-election to former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O'Brien.

Committee assignments

* Senate Committee on Agriculture (Ranking Minority Member) * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Ranking Minority Member) * Senate Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions * Senate Committee on Judiciary * Senate Committee on Local Government, Public Safety and Veteran's Affairs * Senate Committee on Public Utilities * Senate Committee on Ways and Means * Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on General Government and Agency Review (Vice Chair)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Sean Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Living people Democratic Party Ohio state senators 1969 births Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro alumni University of Akron alumni