Ottenheimer is a former Cabinet minister in the government of Danny Williams and represented the district of St. John's East for the Progressive Conservative Party from 1996 to 2007.
[4][5] In the 1996 provincial election, Ottenheimer defeated Liberal incumbent Hubert Kitchen in the district of St. John's East, winning the seat for the Progressive Conservatives.
[9][10] Ottenheimer was re-elected in the 2003 provincial election and the Progressive Conservatives won a majority government under Danny Williams.
The PC Party had committed to maintaining the freeze in their 2003 election platform but following a review of the province's finances the new government began to make sweeping budgetary cuts.
[12][13] On October 1, 2004, Ottenheimer was named minister of Health and Community Services, succeeding Elizabeth Marshall who quit the post after a public dispute with Williams over his management style.
The incident led the provincial government to call a judicial commission of inquiry into the conduct of Eastern Health.
[17] In March 2005, Ottenheimer blacked out on an airplane en route to Gander and had a pacemaker installed later in the day.
Ottenheimer said he needed a lifestyle change and had spoken to Williams the week prior to the shuffle about his health.
[22] Ottenheimer unsuccessfully ran for the leadership of the provincial Progressive Conservatives in 2014, losing to Paul Davis.