Dontavius L. Jarrells is a Democratic member of the Ohio House of Representatives, currently representing District 1 . Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he was first elected in 2020, defeating Republican Jim Burgess with 82% of the vote, reelected in 2022, and unopposed in 2024. He serves as Assistant Minority Leader for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus and holds leadership roles including member of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, Chair-Emeritus of the Black Caucus of the Young Democrats of America, Vice-Chair of the Franklin County Central Committee, and Executive Committee Member for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Notable achievements include bipartisan efforts to eliminate discriminatory covenants and derogatory language from Ohio's legal code, directing $150 million toward lead prevention , sponsoring the Paystub Protection Act, and the Foster-to-College Scholarship Act. He advocates for raising the minimum wage to $15 and replacing lead water lines.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Hiram College in 2010.
• Professional Experience: Served as an Ohio Legislative Service Commission Fellow during the 129th General Assembly, working on anti-union Senate Bill 5 opposition; worked at the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services as Health Equity Policy and Program Lead; Chief of Communications at the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office.
• Political Committees: Ranking member of Arts, Athletics, and Tourism; serves on Finance and Insurance committees.
• Leadership Roles: Assistant Minority Leader ; involved in NCSL’s State Exchange on Employment & Disability .