About Congressman Space

With the exception of his time in law school at Ohio State University, Zack Space has been a lifelong resident Ohio's 18th Congressional District. His upbringing, involvement in the community, and friends and family give him a unique perspective on the needs and challenges faced by working families in the 16 counties he represents in Southern and Eastern Ohio.

Congressman Space’s dedication to family and commitment to public service were instilled in him at a very young age. One of his heroes, his paternal grandfather, emigrated from Greece, and earned his American citizenship through his service fighting for his adopted country in World War I. His father, Socrates, continued the family's patriotic tradition by serving in the Marines during the Korean War. After the war, his father attended Ohio State's law school thanks to the GI Bill.

A high school football star at Dover High School, Congressman Space chose to stay close to home by attending Kenyon College where he was named a Division III All-American. From both coaches and classmates, he was hailed not only for his athleticism, but also for his extraordinary leadership and teamwork.

Following college, he continued on to Ohio State where he earned his law degree. Returning home to Dover, he joined his father's law practice where he focused on representing the needs of individuals, many of whom had been wronged and had nowhere else to turn. Space also served the Dover community as a member of the Mental Retardation and Developments Disabilities Board.

Starting in 2000, he assumed the role of Dover's Law Director. As the chief legal representative for the city, he was involved in a host of matters of critical importance, ranging from negotiating contracts to mediating employment disputes to representing the City of Dover in court proceedings. As Law Director, he also supervised the city prosecutor's office, provided legal counsel for all city departments, and written numerous city ordinances.

In 2006, Space decided to seek the 18th Congressional seat because he felt that government had lost touch with the needs of working Americans. Ethical lapses, a faltering economy, and unfair trade deals were damaging Ohioans’ confidence in their government. He committed to never accept contributions, gifts, meals, or trips from registered lobbyists, a pledge he continues to hold.

As a matter of fact, immediately upon entering Congress in 2007, Congressman Space led the charge to pass one of the most stringent ethics reforms in House history, codifying part of his ethics pledge. Today, House rules prohibit the acceptance of gifts, trips, or meals from lobbyists.

Congressman Space set about meeting with as many constituents as possible to better understand their needs – a practice he continues to this day. Knowing that the Farm Bill was going to be written during his first year, he went on a Farm Tour to gather input from agriculture producers all across the district. He has visited every hospital in the 18th District, formed a Veterans Advisory Board, and created the Connecting Appalachia Broadband Taskforce.

RENEW Ohio-18 is perhaps the crowning achievement of his first term. Space created this project in recognition that rural Ohio’s economy needs to adapt to changing market forces. This effort, which stands for Realizing A New Economic Way, was designed to gather input from the community, come up with solutions to create jobs, and then generate an economic blueprint for our region. Heath Care, Broadband and Technology, Advanced Energy, and Agriculture were identified as the sectors of the economy that show the most potential to create jobs. Summits were held throughout the district on these topic areas, and a final report was generated from the suggestions of hundreds of participants.

In just his second term, Congressman Space has been named to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, an exclusive committee with broad jurisdiction over a wide range of issues. He is a member of the following subcommittees: Health; Communications, Technology, and the Internet; and Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Space is the first member from Ohio named to this committee since Ted Strickland left Congress to serve as Governor. This prestigious assignment was given to him in recognition of his exhaustive work on broadband, healthcare, and energy issues.

He and his wife Mary, a Municipal Court Judge, have two children, Gina and Nick.