Bob Taft

Robert Alphonso Taft III, born January 8, 1941, is an American politician and attorney who served as the 67th governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. He is a member of the Taft political family and affiliated with the Republican Party. His career includes positions in the Ohio House of Representatives, as Hamilton County commissioner, and as Ohio Secretary of State under Governor George Voinovich.

Family and Early Life:

Taft was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Blanca Duncan Noel. He is a grandson of Senate Majority Leader Robert A. Taft and a great-grandson of President William Howard Taft. His paternal great-grandfather was Attorney General and Secretary of War Alphonso Taft. Taft was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Cincinnati Country Day School through the ninth grade before graduating from The Taft School.

Education:

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Yale University in 1963, during which time he was a member of the Yale Political Union. From 1963 to 1965, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, teaching there. He earned a Master of Arts degree in government from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1967. Later, in 1976, he obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Early Political Career:

Taft was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1976 and served from 1977 to 1981 representing the 65th district. He then served as Hamilton County commissioner from 1981 until 1990. In 1986, he ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio as the running mate of Jim Rhodes. In 1990, he was elected Ohio Secretary of State, defeating incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown, and was re-elected in 1994, defeating Democrat Dan Brady.

Gubernatorial Campaigns:

Taft announced his run for Governor of Ohio in December 1996, becoming the first candidate to enter the race. Preparing since 1995, he secured the endorsement of incumbent Governor George Voinovich. He won the Republican primary on May 5, 1998, and defeated Democrat Lee Fisher in the general election with 50% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 11, 1999.

He was re-elected in 2002, defeating Democrat Tim Hagan by approximately 20 percentage points, with a vote margin of 628,083 votes.

Governorship (1999–2007):

During his tenure as governor, Taft oversaw the implementation of the Third Frontier program, aimed at fostering research and economic development in sectors such as biomedical, alternative energy, and advanced propulsion industries. From 2003 to 2008, the program dispersed $681 million, leading to a reported $6.6 billion in economic impact and the creation of over 41,000 jobs.

He promoted investments in transportation infrastructure through projects such as the Wilmington Bypass, Cleveland Inner Belt, and Veterans' Glass City Skyway. The state also funded biomedical research centers, including the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, which by 2009 had conducted numerous clinical trials and treated hundreds of patients.

Environmental and Energy Policies:

Taft advanced initiatives related to the Great Lakes, advocating for regional preservation and restoration projects. He signed agreements and pacts with multiple states and Canadian provinces and joined the Board of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. In 2006, he announced an Energy Action Plan that increased the use of ethanol and biodiesel in state fleets, promoted renewable energy sources, and supported clean coal technologies.

Legal Issues:

In August 2005, Taft was indicted on four misdemeanors related to the receipt of undisclosed gifts and illegal campaign contributions amid the Coingate scandal. He pleaded no contest, was fined $4,000, and continued serving as governor until his term expired in January 2007.

Post-Governorship:

After completing his term, Taft began working at the University of Dayton starting August 15, 2007.