He is licensed to practice law in Ohio, and the federal court systems.
In 1997, Barrett began his political career by running at-large for city council in Amherst, Ohio, he would be reelected three more times.
In 2004, Barrett ran for state representative against Kathleen Walcher, but lost 53.99% to 46.01%.
Barrett ran again for the seat in 2006, and this time defeated Walcher's replacement, Dan White, by a margin of 51.20% to 48.80%.
Only eighteen months into his first term, Barrett was caught in an ethics scandal after mistakenly allowing pornography to be shown to high school children during a presentation.