Zack Space

Infobox Congressman
name = Zack Space


date of birth = birth date and age|1961|01|27
place of birth = Dover, Ohio
state = Ohio
district = 18th
preceded = Bob Ney
succeeded = Incumbent
term_start = January 4, 2007
party = Democrat
spouse = Mary Space
children = Gina Space
Nicholas Space
religion = Greek Orthodox
occupation= attorney
alma_mater= Kenyon College, Ohio State University
residence= Dover, Ohio

Zachary T. "Zack" Space (b. January 27, 1961) of Dover, Ohio, is an American politician of the Democratic Party and presently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio's 18th congressional district. Space won the seat in the November 7, 2006 election, defeating state Senator Joy Padgett. Space's seat was formerly held by Republican Bob Ney, who pled guilty to conspiracy and making false statements in relation to the Abramoff scandal. Republican Fred Dailey is currently running against Space in the 2008 election.

Early life and family

Born in Dover, Ohio, in 1961, Space is the son of Socrates Space and Sandra Gallion. His grandparents immigrated to the United States from Greece in the early years of the 20th century. His grandfather and namesake, Zacharias Space, earned U.S. citizenship through service in World War I.

After graduating from Dover High School in 1979, Space attended Kenyon College in Knox County where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. While earning a degree in political science, he was awarded All-American honors in football and was named the 1982 Athlete of the Year at Kenyon. After his graduation from Kenyon, Space enrolled in the Ohio State University College of Law and earned his Juris Doctor in 1986.

In 1986, Space married Mary Wade, whom he met when they worked together in the public defender's office. They have two children, Gina, age 18, and Nicholas, 16. His wife Mary has been judge of the New Philadelphia Municipal Court since 1991, the first woman judge in Tuscarawas County history. She was re-elected in 2005 with 64 percent of the vote.

Career

In 1986, Space started a law practice with his father. Their firm, Space & Space Company, LPA, has been in business for nearly 20 years and is focused on consumer rights law.

Space is a member of the Tuscarawas County and State of Ohio Bar Associations. In addition to his private law practice, he has worked as a public defender and served as Special Counsel to two Attorneys General of Ohio, Anthony J. Celebrezze, Jr. and Lee Fisher.

After the death of Dover Law Director Thomas Watson, Space was appointed to fill the vacancy. He won re-election in the 2001 general election with 70 percent of the vote. He was unopposed in the 2003 election. As law director, Space served as general counsel to the Dover city government and tried misdemeanor cases in the city's municipal court.

Space is also a managing member of several closely-held companies that have constructed and operated three hotels in Tuscarawas County.

Committee assignments

*Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
**Subcommittee on Aviation
**Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
**Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
*Committee on Veterans Affairs
**Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
*Committee on Agriculture
**Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research
**Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management

Congressional elections

2006

;Primary victoryOn May 2, 2006, Space won the Democratic primary for the House seat then held by Bob Ney, defeating Democrats Jennifer Stewart, [ [http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/NEWS01/602160302/1002 Coshocton Tribune] ] Joe Sulzer, [ [http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/NEWS01/60307001/1002 Chillicothe Gazette] ] and Ralph Applegate.

Space received 39 percent of the vote, Stewart 25 percent, Sulzer 24 percent, and Applegate received 11 percent. [cite news
last=McCament
first=Dylan
title=Ney, Space to face off in November
url=http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/05/03/elc.US18.html
publisher=Mount Vernon News
date=May 3, 2006
accessdate=2007-02-06]

;General electionRepublican Ney said much of the primary campaign was focused on attacking him, and said he would attempt to bring the campaign back to the issues. "It has to get back to issues," he said. “We are going to run an aggressive campaign. ... We are going to stick to the issues and show the difference between me and Zack Space." [ [http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/05/03/elc.US18.html mountvernonnews.com] ]

In July, a poll commissioned by the Space campaign showed Space ahead of Ney, 46 percent to 35 percent, with 19 percent undecided. [ [http://www.zackspace.org/content/view/159/55 zackspace.org] ]

On August 7, Ney withdrew from the race, citing concerns about legal issues facing him; he pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal on October 13. In a special primary the Ohio Republican party selected State Senator Joy Padgett to replace Ney. She was dogged by questions about a business bankruptcy that she and her husband had filed. She was also seriously hampered by associations with Ney, as well as widespread scandals surrounding the Ohio Republican Party.

On November 7, Space defeated Padgett 62 percent to 38 percent. Although much more attention was paid to Brad Ellsworth's 61 percent to 39 percent defeat of John Hostettler in Indiana's 8th district, Space's victory was the largest margin of any Democrat in a Republican-held seat nationwide in 2006.

2008

Other

Space is an advocate for embryonic stem cell research, a position he embraced after his son Nicholas was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age six.

Space has served as a board member of the Tuscarawas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and has been active as a coach in local youth baseball, softball, and football leagues. He is a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Massillon, Ohio.

References

External links

* [http://space.house.gov/ Congressman Zack Space] official U.S. House website
* [http://zackspace.org/ Zack Space for U.S. Congress] official campaign website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Zack_Space Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Ohio/Government/US_House_of_Representatives/Zack_Space_%5bOH-18%5d
* [http://www.taterenner.com/zack.htm Photos from Zack Space's first day in office]