About Governor Ted Strickland
After Ted was first reelected to Congress in 1996, he placed a plaque in his office with the following quote from Scripture:
“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8
Throughout his service as a minister, a psychologist, a professor, a Member of Congress, and as Governor, Ted worked to exemplify those simple, powerful words.
He didn’t come to public service as a lawyer or an investor, but as the son of a steelworker. Ted was born on August 4, 1941 in Lucasville, Ohio, one of nine children. He spent his childhood active in church and school life. Like many children of Southeast Ohio, as a young man he never imagined he’d be able to go to college until a high school teacher took him on a trip to Asbury College and Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It was a visit that changed his life.
His family was able to piece together enough for tuition and, soon after graduating from Northwest High School, he found himself attending Asbury College in Kentucky, where he received a B.A. in History in 1963. Ted became the only child in his family to go on to college and has earned two masters degrees and a PhD. He received a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky in 1980.
Professionally, Ted has served as an ordained Methodist minister, a psychologist, and a college professor. He was an administrator at a Methodist children’s home, an assistant professor of psychology at Shawnee State University, and a consulting psychologist at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF).
Ted married Frances Smith in 1987 and the couple soon settled in Southern Ohio. Frances is an educational psychologist and author of a widely-used screening test for kindergarten-age children.
Elected to Congress in 1992, Ted has represented twenty Ohio counties stretching from the Cincinnati suburbs to the suburbs of Youngstown. He narrowly lost reelection in 1994, only to be successfully reelected in 1996 and to each subsequent congress before he ran successfully for governor in 2006.
During his six terms in Congress, Ted built an impressive record on behalf of the people of Ohio. He was instrumental in expanding access to health insurance for children, ensuring that America kept its promises to our veterans, and in bringing home millions in investments for roads, technology, and economic development and health initiatives. Ted helped co-author the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a federal initiative that provides health insurance to millions of children nationwide. And he fought for adequately funding the Appalachian Regional Commission and Appalachian counties throughout the country.
Ted was elected Ohio’s 68th governor on November 7, 2006, and was sworn into office on January 8, 2007. As governor, he charted a steady course guided by his belief that there is nothing wrong with Ohio that can’t be fixed by what’s right with Ohio.
Ted took office as the nation teetered on the brink of economic collapse. He worked to tackle this crisis with a plan to ensure Ohio emerged from the recession even stronger than it was before by laying a foundation for economic progress and a thriving middle class. He made strategic investments in job creation, improved Ohio’s business climate, reformed education, and he made government live within its means.
Brought together by a sense of common purpose, legislators from both parties worked closely with the governor to strengthen Ohio. He passed two balanced budgets, without raising taxes. His first budget – the slowest growth budget in 42 years – passed both the majority Republican Ohio House and Senate with only one dissenting vote.
He passed legislation that gives the state the resources and authority to provide health care coverage to all Ohio children. He reduced property taxes for those on fixed incomes. He implemented the largest tax cut in Ohio history. He reduced the state workforce to its smallest size since Ronald Regan was president. And in response to rapidly increasing tuition rates at Ohio’s public colleges and universities, he froze tuition for two years to help make college more affordable for the state’s residents.
In July 2009, he signed a historic education reform bill that makes Ohio’s funding system constitutional, and reforms the way our schools teach in order to prepare Ohio young people for the new kinds of jobs our economy is creating.
Ted was chosen by his fellow Appalachian governors to serve as the Appalachian Regional Commission’s 2009 states’ co-chair, and by his fellow Midwestern governors to serve as chair of the Midwest Governor’s Association in 2010.
Ted led the development of a strong and growing new energy economy in Ohio. He introduced and signed legislation that mandates that 25 percent of all Ohio’s electricity production come from advanced energy sources by 2025 – which will make Ohio the 3rd largest producer of renewable energy in the nation. He signed a 1.57 billion dollar state stimulus package aimed at creating tens of thousands of new jobs in growth sectors like advanced energy. And he secured funding to accelerate the construction of 250 new elementary, middle and high schools in the state, which are being built to meet nationally recognized energy-efficiency standards.
Governor Ted Strickland’s entire life was spent fighting to protect Ohio families and to make sure everyone has a chance to succeed. Because of his background in the ministry and social service, Ted always believed that government is at its best when it’s guided by the heart and a good dose of common sense.
Ted guided the state through an unprecedented economic storm and built a stronger foundation for Ohio. He served until January 10, 2011, having positioned Ohio for growth in the 21st century economy.
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