Governor Ted Strickland
The son of a steelworker and the eighth of nine children, Ted Strickland was born on August 4, 1941, in Lucasville, Ohio. Like many sons of Southeast Ohio, Ted never imagined that he would be able to go to college until a high school teacher took him on a trip to the Asbury College and Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It was a visit that changed his life.
Ted became the only child in his family to go on to college and has since earned two masters degrees and a PhD. He has served as an ordained Methodist minister, a psychologist, a college professor, a member of Congress and now governor of Ohio.
Ted worked as 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).
In 1987, Ted married Frances Smith and the couple soon settled in Southern Ohio. Elected to Congress in 1992, Ted represented twenty Ohio counties stretching from the Cincinnati suburbs to the suburbs of Youngstown. In Congress, he helped co-author CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), a federal initiative that provides health insurance to millions of children nationwide.
Because of his background in the ministry and social service, Ted believes that government is at its best when it’s guided by the heart and a good dose of common sense.
As Governor, Ted believes that Ohio government must live within its means while investing in what matters. Brought together by a sense of common purpose, legislators from both parties have worked closely with the Governor to strengthen Ohio.
Even in these difficult economic times, Governor Strickland has expanded health care, reduced property taxes and frozen tuition at Ohio’s public universities and colleges.
As Governor, he has continued to stand up for Ohio. He has passed legislation guaranteeing health care coverage to all Ohio children. He signed a 1.57 billion dollar stimulus package aimed at creating tens of thousands of new jobs in rebuilding Ohio communities, producing advanced energy and spurring life-saving medical research.
He also 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.
This spring Governor Strickland introduced the most comprehensive, groundbreaking effort to reform our schools since the 1930s. The Governor’s plan reforms the way our schools teach to make sure our young people can thrive in the 21st century economy, it provides the necessary resources to our schools for them to do this and requires an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability to make sure that every dollar is spent effectively.
Visit Governor Strickland's re-election website at www.tedstrickland.com.
