Canton Republican Kirk Schuring, a ‘model legislator’ for 30 years, dies

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Canton Republican who served for more than three decades in both the state House and Senate without ever losing a race died Friday.

Kirk Schuring, 72, died after a long battle with unspecified illness. According to a news release from the Senate, Schuring, who was reelected after running unopposed in 2022, took working phone calls from his hospital bed.

“Kirk was a statesman,” said Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican who served with Schuring for decades. “There is no finer member of the General Assembly or finer Ohioan who served in the halls of the Ohio Statehouse. Kirk’s heart was in Ohio, and it showed with his commitment, drive, and integrity for the job the people elected him to do decade after decade.”

Schuring graduated from Perry High School in Stark County and attended Kent State University. He was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Ohio House in 1993 and won his first legislative election the next year. Ohio imposes eight-year term limits on lawmakers in a given legislative seat. But Schuring managed to serve a full eight years in the Senate, eight in the House, eight more in the Senate, and eight in the House, all before winning his final election in 2022.

Gov. Mike DeWine referred to Schuring as a “model legislator” and ordered flags at state buildings to half mast in his honor.

“Not only was he a fierce advocate for his constituents in Canton and Stark County, but he also was a legislator who did the hard work every day in committee and on the floor to get meaningful legislation passed,” DeWine said in a statement. “His legislative accomplishments were broad based, encompassing economic development, helping small businesses prosper, enhancing school safety, and promoting public safety, especially helping victims of crime.”

Both current and former politicians offered public condolences. Former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger called him a man of principle, a negotiator, and a force of compromise. Schuring’s colleagues regularly elected him to leadership roles within the Republican caucuses. But it was only after Rosenberger stepped down as speaker amid scandal in 2018 that Schuring briefly controlled the chamber.

Current House Speaker Jason Stephens too offered praise of his former colleague.

“Kirk was a true statesman, who was dedicated to making Ohio a better place,” he said. “His collaborative approach and ability to bring people together for the benefit of all will be deeply missed at the Statehouse. I extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Darlene, his family, and his friends.”

Rep. Scott Oelslager, like Schuring, has represented the Canton area at the Statehouse for decades. He and Schuring, by virtue of timing and constitutional rules, effectively swapped seats with one another when term limits hit.

“Today, I join my fellow Stark Countians and Ohioans in mourning the loss of a strong public servant and friend,” Oelslager said. “Kirk loved serving the people of our community and state, and we are all better because of him. Kirk and I have been teammates for more than 30 years, and I will miss him dearly.”