Bob Latta

Bob Latta
Official portrait, 2024
Bob Latta
Born	Robert Edward Latta 18 4, 1956
Birthplace	Bluffton, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Education	Bowling Green State University (BA) University of Toledo (JD)
Children	2
Website	[[latta.house.gov latta.house.gov] Official site]

Robert Edward Latta (born April 18, 1956) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 5th congressional district since 2007. A member of the Republican Party, Latta has built a lengthy career in Ohio politics, first serving in the Ohio House of Representatives before winning a special election to succeed the late Paul Gillmor in Congress. Now in his tenth term, Latta represents a sprawling district in northwestern Ohio that encompasses many of Toledo's suburbs as well as the cities of Findlay, Bowling Green, Napoleon, Sylvania, Defiance, and Van Wert, along with a sliver of Toledo itself. In Congress, Latta has focused on energy policy, telecommunications, and infrastructure, serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In February 2026, he set the record for the longest consecutive voting streak among sitting members of the U.S. House of Representatives, casting 2,625 consecutive votes without missing a single roll call.

Early Life

Robert Edward Latta was born on April 18, 1956, in Bluffton, Ohio, a small village in Allen County in the northwestern part of the state. He grew up in a politically active family; his father, Del Latta, served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 5th congressional district from 1959 to 1989, spanning three decades in office. The elder Latta was a prominent figure in Ohio Republican politics and a senior member of the House Budget Committee, known for his co-sponsorship of the Gramm-Latta budget resolutions during the Reagan administration.

Growing up in the same congressional district his father represented, the younger Latta was exposed to the workings of government and constituent service from an early age. Bluffton and the surrounding communities of northwestern Ohio are predominantly rural and agricultural, and these roots would inform Latta's later policy interests in issues affecting rural communities, agriculture, and energy infrastructure. The region's economic base, tied to manufacturing and farming, provided a backdrop for Latta's understanding of the issues facing working families in small-town America.

Education

Latta pursued his undergraduate education at Bowling Green State University, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, one of the principal cities within the 5th congressional district he would later represent. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the university. He then continued his education at the University of Toledo College of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree, qualifying him to practice law in the state of Ohio. His legal training would serve as the foundation for his subsequent career in both private legal practice and public service.

Career

Ohio House of Representatives

Before entering federal politics, Latta served in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he represented two different districts over the course of four terms. He first entered the Ohio House on January 2, 2001, representing the 4th district, succeeding Randy Gardner. He served in this capacity through December 31, 2002. Following redistricting, Latta represented the 6th district of the Ohio House beginning on January 7, 2003, this time succeeding Tim Schaffer. He served in the Ohio House until December 13, 2007, when he resigned to take his seat in the U.S. Congress. Randy Gardner succeeded him in the state legislature upon his departure.

During his time in the Ohio state legislature, Latta gained experience in legislative processes and developed relationships with constituents and fellow Republican lawmakers across northwestern Ohio. His tenure in the Ohio House provided him with a legislative record and name recognition that proved advantageous when the opportunity to run for Congress arose.

Election to Congress

Latta's path to Congress came through a special election in 2007 following the death of Paul Gillmor, who had represented Ohio's 5th congressional district since 1989. Gillmor died on September 5, 2007, and a special election was called to fill the vacancy. Latta won the Republican primary and then prevailed in the special election, taking office on December 13, 2007.

The special election victory marked the continuation of a family legacy in Ohio's 5th congressional district, as Latta's father Del had represented the same district for thirty years. The younger Latta brought with him both the family name recognition and his own experience from the Ohio General Assembly.

Congressional Tenure

Since entering Congress in December 2007, Latta has been reelected consistently, and as of 2026 is serving his tenth term in office. Ohio's 5th congressional district has been a reliably Republican seat, and Latta has won his general elections by comfortable margins throughout his tenure.

Latta has been a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, one of the oldest and most influential committees in the House of Representatives, with jurisdiction over a wide range of issues including energy policy, health care, telecommunications, consumer protection, and interstate commerce. Within this committee, Latta has risen to a position of leadership, serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy.

Energy and Infrastructure Policy

As Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, Latta has presided over hearings and legislative initiatives related to American energy production, infrastructure security, and regulatory reform. In September 2025, he delivered the opening statement at a legislative hearing on reforming appliance and building policies, focusing on federal regulations affecting energy efficiency standards for consumer appliances and building codes.

In December 2025, Latta chaired a hearing on securing America's energy infrastructure, addressing concerns about the resilience and security of the nation's energy grid and related systems. In early 2026, working alongside House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, Latta announced additional hearings on oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), examining the agency's role in energy regulation and permitting.

Latta and Guthrie also announced hearings on legislation to protect America's energy infrastructure, reflecting ongoing congressional attention to the security of energy systems against both physical and cyber threats.

Cybersecurity Legislation

In February 2026, Latta and Guthrie announced an Energy Subcommittee markup of five bills aimed at strengthening American cybersecurity, particularly as it relates to energy infrastructure. The markup reflected bipartisan concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyberattacks and the need for updated legislative frameworks to address evolving threats.

Caucus Memberships

During his time in Congress, Latta has been a member of several congressional caucuses. He has been a member of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservative members in the House. He has also been a member of the Congressional Constitution Caucus, a group focused on issues of constitutional governance and fidelity to the text of the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, Latta has served as a member of the Congressional Baltic Caucus, which focuses on relations between the United States and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

2020 Presidential Election

In January 2021, following the 2020 presidential election, Latta was among the Republican members of Congress who voted to object to the certification of electoral votes from certain states. The objections were raised in the context of former President Donald Trump's claims about the election, and the votes occurred during the joint session of Congress on January 6–7, 2021.

Consecutive Voting Streak

One of the most notable aspects of Latta's congressional career has been his extraordinary record of attendance for floor votes. On February 13, 2026, Spectrum News 1 reported that Latta had set the record for the longest consecutive voting streak among sitting members of the U.S. House of Representatives, having cast 2,625 consecutive votes without a single absence. The streak reflects Latta's emphasis on constituent representation and legislative duty, as each missed vote represents a gap in a member's ability to register the preferences of their district on pending legislation. Maintaining such a streak over many years requires the member to be physically present on the House floor for every roll call vote, including procedural votes, amendments, and final passage votes, regardless of scheduling conflicts or other demands.

Community Engagement

In addition to his legislative work, Latta has maintained engagement with his district through various programs. In February 2026, his office announced the 2026 Congressional Art Competition, an annual program in which high school students from the 5th congressional district submit artwork for consideration. The winning entry is displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Personal Life

Bob Latta was born and raised in Bluffton, Ohio, and has maintained deep ties to northwestern Ohio throughout his life and career. His father, Del Latta, served as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 5th congressional district from 1959 to 1989, making the Latta family one of the longer-serving political families in Ohio's history in terms of representation of the same congressional district. Bob Latta has two children. He resides in the Bowling Green area of northwestern Ohio, within the boundaries of the district he represents.

Latta is a licensed attorney, having earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law. His legal background has informed his approach to legislation and committee work, particularly on regulatory and constitutional questions.

Recognition

Latta's most prominent distinction as of 2026 is his record-setting consecutive voting streak in the U.S. House of Representatives. On February 13, 2026, he was recognized for casting 2,625 consecutive votes, the longest such streak among sitting members of the House. The record underscores Latta's commitment to floor attendance and participation in the legislative process.

His chairmanship of the Energy Subcommittee on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce represents one of the more influential positions held by a representative from Ohio's 5th congressional district. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over issues including energy production, the electrical grid, nuclear energy, fossil fuels, and renewable energy policy, giving Latta a platform to shape national energy legislation.

Latta has also been recognized through his role in promoting arts education in his district via the annual Congressional Art Competition, which provides high school students with the opportunity to have their work displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

Legacy

Bob Latta's tenure in Congress, spanning nearly two decades as of 2026, places him among the longer-serving members of the Ohio congressional delegation. His representation of Ohio's 5th congressional district follows directly in the footsteps of his father, Del Latta, who held the same seat for thirty years. Together, the father and son have represented the district for a combined period exceeding four decades, a notable feat in American congressional history.

Latta's focus on energy policy, telecommunications, and infrastructure has positioned him as a figure of influence within the House Republican Conference on these issues. His rise to the chairmanship of the Energy Subcommittee reflects both seniority and subject-matter engagement over many terms in office.

His record consecutive voting streak of 2,625 votes, achieved in February 2026, stands as a concrete measure of legislative dedication and has drawn attention to the importance of floor attendance as a component of congressional representation. While voting attendance alone does not capture the full scope of a legislator's effectiveness, the record reflects a sustained commitment to being present for each legislative decision during his time in office.

Latta's involvement in cybersecurity and energy infrastructure security legislation in the 119th Congress suggests an ongoing focus on modernizing the legislative framework governing critical infrastructure, an area of increasing importance in the context of evolving technological and geopolitical threats.