Zack Space

Zachary Thompson Space (born January 27, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician and the former U.S. Representative for OH's 18th congressional district, serving from 2007 until 2011.

He is a member of the Democratic Party.

After serving in Congress, Space became a lobbyist and was a principal for Vorys Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of the law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.

Space was born on January 27, 1961, in Dover, Ohio.

His family is of Greek origin, originating from the island Icaria.

His last name was an alteration of his grandfather's Greek name.

His father, Socrates Space, was a Democratic chairman in Space's home county of Tuscarawas.

Space graduated from Dover High School in 1979, and attended Kenyon College, where he earned All-American honors in football, and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science.

Space then earned a Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

In 1986, Space started a law practice with his father, Socrates.

Their firm, Space & Space Company, LPA, was in business for nearly 20 years and focused on consumer rights.

The elder Space was also active in local politics, serving a long tenure as Chairman of the Tuscarawas County Democratic Party.

He married Mary Ellen Wade, a future judge, in 1988.

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 2001 with 70 percent of the vote, and 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 was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition.

He 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.

Representative Space voted against the final Senate version of the Affordable Care Act after voting for the House version which included a public option.

Rep. Space voted for the Waxman-Markey "cap and trade" bill allowing it to be brought out of committee and be passed by the House.

American Electric Power and the Environmental Defense Fund ran a commercial congratulating Rep. Space for his vote.

On May 2, 2006, Space won the Democratic primary for the House seat then held by Bob Ney, defeating Democrats Jennifer Stewart, Joe Sulzer, and Ralph Applegate.

Space received 39 percent of the vote, Stewart 25 percent, Sulzer 24 percent, and Applegate received 11 percent.

Republican 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."

In July, a poll commissioned by the Space campaign showed Space ahead of Ney, 46 percent to 35 percent, with 19 percent undecided.

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.

Space defeated Republican Fred Dailey, former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture 60-40%.

Space was challenged by Republican State Senator Bob Gibbs and Constitution Party Lindsey Sutton.

Gibbs won the election, securing 54% of the vote to 40% that went to Space.

He ran unsuccessfully for Ohio State Auditor in 2018, significantly outperforming other members of the ticket in Appalachian Ohio counties.

He is currently serving as President of Sunday Creek Horizons, a lobbying and advocacy firm founded in 2019 that serves clients in eastern and southern Ohio.