Theresa Gavarone (born June 30, 1966) is an American attorney, politician, and businesswoman serving as a member of theOhio Senate for the 2nd district. ARepublican, Gavarone was first appointed to the Senate in 2019 after serving in theOhio House of Representatives from 2016 to 2019.

Gavarone was born inDayton, Ohio, and attendedArchbishop Alter High School in neighboringKettering. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration fromBowling Green State University and aJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Toledo College of Law, graduating in 1994. Soon after, she began practicing law in Bowling Green.^[1][2]

Along with her husband, Jim, Gavarone owns and operates Mr. Spots Philadelphia Steak Sandwich in Bowling Green along with practicing law.^[3] Gavarone was elected to two full terms on the Bowling Green City Council, winning in 2013 and again in 2015.

In 2016,Tim Brown decided to step down from the Ohio House to take a position with theToledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, allowing SpeakerCliff Rosenberger and the House Republican Caucus to select his successor. After vetting, Gavarone was chosen to complete the remainder of Brown's term and to take his place on the ballot for a full term beginning in 2017. She was seated in the House on August 2, 2016, and won elections for full terms in 2016 and again in 2018.

Gavarone was vice chair of the House Health Committee.^[4]

In 2019,Randy Gardner was appointed by GovernorMike DeWine as chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. He resigned from the Senate in January. Gavarone immediately announced her intention to seek an appointment to the seat.^[5] On February 6, after unanimous approval by the Senate Republican Caucus, Gavarone was officially sworn in as a member of the Senate.^[6]

At the beginning of the 133rd General Assembly, Gavarone became vice chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

In June 2019, Gavarone sponsored legislation that would ban synthetic urine.^[7] In 2021, after Democratic candidates had won several races for theSupreme Court of Ohio in a row, Gavarone proposed a bill that would list the party affiliation of state supreme court judicial candidates on ballots.^[8]

During the 134th General Assembly, Gavarone was assigned to the following Ohio Senate committees:^[9]

• (Chair of) Local Government and Elections Committee
• (Vice Chair of) Finance Committee
• Judiciary Committee
• Small Business & Economic Opportunity Committee
• Rules & Reference Committee

Additionally, Gavarone had the following special appointments:

• (Chair of) Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review
• (Vice Chair of) Ohio Ballot Board
• Joint Legislative Committee on Adoption Promotion and Support
• Ohio Child Support Guideline Advisory Council
• Great Lakes Commission
• National Council of State Legislatures Redistricting & Election Committee

Gavarone was a Republican candidate forOhio's 9th congressional district in the2022 election. She placed third in the May 3, 2022, Ohio primary, losing to J.R. Majewski, a nuclear power plant employee who came to prominence after painting a Trump sign on his lawn.^[10][11][12]

Gavarone and her husband have three children.^[13]

• 1966 births
• 21st-century American women politicians
• 21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly
• Bowling Green State University alumni
• Businesspeople from Dayton, Ohio
• Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
• Living people
• Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Republican Party Ohio state senators
• People from Bowling Green, Ohio
• Politicians from Dayton, Ohio
• People from Kettering, Ohio
• University of Toledo College of Law alumni
• Women state legislators in Ohio

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata