Americans for Prosperity-Ohio has endorsed West Portsmouth’s Gina Collinsworth in the GOP primary for Ohio’s 90th House District.

“They fight for smaller government and they are defending Ohio’s jobs,’ Collinsworth said. “With my background in economic development, jobs are one of the most important things we need to work on. I believe there are opportunities for us to find those jobs by bringing companies into the region.

“I know where the money is from my day to day job in economic development. I work to connect us to federal and state grants and there’s quite a lot out there right now.”

Collinsworth works as a public information specialist for the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission.

“AFP-Ohio us excited to announce our support for nine policy champions for the Ohio House of Representatives,” said Donovan O’Neil, state director for AFP-Ohio. “Our grassroots efforts have been proven to make a real impact in elections, and we are confident that our efforts will bring the change that the Buckeye state needs.”

State Rep. Justin Pizzulli currently holds the seat, having been appointed in May 2023. Voters elected Adams County’s Brian Baldridge, who was then appointed Director of Agriculture in February 2023 by Gov. Mike DeWine.

Americans For Prosperity is a national conservative political action committee aimed at affecting local and statewide elections. According to FactCheck.org, the organization is “heavily funded by Charles Koch.

“Americans for Prosperity states its purpose as promoting “broad-based grassroots outreach to advocate long-term solutions” to issues including “unsustainable government spending and debt, a broken immigration system, a rigged economy.” AFP has 38 statewide chapters and claims to have recruited over 3.2 million activists and 100,000 financial supporters.”

Collinsworth also this week received the Brown County GOP Central Committee’s endorsement. Part of gaining that endorsement included a survey made available to the committee and a presentation before the committee.

“One of the Brown County Central Committee members I talked to made the comment that they wanted to be sure who they endorsed was not going to be someone who was just a yes person for the people with power,” Collinsworth said. “Someone who would actually go up there and represent our interests in Southern Ohio, not just a yes vote for the speaker.”

Collinsworth, who ran in the previous primary won by Baldridge, is running against incumbent Pizzulli in the GOP primary. Both Collinsworth and Pizzulli have run in a primary for House District 90 previously.

“Bottom line, I’m running to change the way things have been done,” Collinsworth said. “The trend in elections makes people feel like their vote doesn’t count and non one is listening to what they want done.”

Local primary voters will decide March 19 who becomes the candidate for the 90th district in November’s general election. The deadline to register to vote in the March primary is Feb. 20.