Jennette B. Bradley (born October 2, 1952) is an American politician of the Republican party and served as the 62nd lieutenant governor of Ohio from 2003 to 2005 and Ohio State Treasurer from 2005 to 2007. Bradley was the first African American woman elected to statewide office in Ohio.
Jennette Bradley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 62nd Lieutenant Governor of Ohio | |
| In office January 13, 2003 – January 5, 2005 | |
| Governor | Bob Taft |
| Preceded by | Maureen O'Connor |
| Succeeded by | Bruce E. Johnson |
| 45th Treasurer of Ohio | |
| In office January 5, 2005 – January 8, 2007 | |
| Governor | Bob Taft |
| Preceded by | Joe Deters |
| Succeeded by | Richard Cordray |
| Columbus City Council | |
| In office 1991–2002 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 2, 1952 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Michael C. Taylor |
| Alma mater | Wittenberg University |
| Profession | Politician |
Early life and education
editBradley was born in Columbus, Ohio. Her family settled in a neighborhood on Columbus' east side after her father retired from the United States Army. After graduating from East High School in 1970, Bradley attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and earned a degree in psychology.[1]
Early professional career
editBradley took a job with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. She became the first black woman to serve as the executive director of the Authority when she was 28 years old.[1][2] In 1986, Bradley moved to Washington, D.C. She returned to Columbus in 1989 and worked as a senior executive for Huntington National Bank.[1]
Columbus City Council
editBradley entered the 1991 Columbus City Council race as a Republican candidate. She was reelected in 1995 and 1999. During her tenure she was chair of City Council's Recreation and Parks and Public Utilities committees. She resigned from the council when she became Lieutenant Governor in 2003.[3]
Lieutenant governor
editIn 2002 Governor Bob Taft announced he had chosen Bradley to replace Maureen O'Connor as his running mate. Many conservatives did not support Bradley because she was pro-choice. Critics of the Taft-Bradley ticket were also concerned about her City Council vote to extend city workers' health care benefits to include domestic partners and same-sex couples.[3] Bradley was then criticized for having later voted against this legislation.
Taft and Bradley won the race with approximately 58% of the vote. Bradley became the third female lieutenant governor of Ohio and the first African-American woman elected to the office. She also became the first black female lieutenant governor of any U.S. state.[1]
After taking office, Bradley was appointed by Taft to head the Ohio Department of Commerce, the Clean Ohio Council, and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.[3] In 2004, the governor also appointed Bradley to the "Jobs Cabinet." Following the resignation of Joseph T. Deters as state treasurer, Taft appointed Bradley to the post, effective January 2005. She resigned as lieutenant governor before taking her new post [4] However, Bradley was defeated by conservative Tea Party-backed Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O'Brien in the May 2006 Republican primary election.[5]
Further career
editIn 2016, Bradley was among the 9 people chosen from over 100 candidates to serve on a committee to review the charter of the Columbus City Council.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Speaking of People". Ebony. 58 (6): 12. April 2003 – via EBSCO - Academic Search Complete.
- ^ "Jennette Bradley – Ohio Republican Women Strong". Retrieved June 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c Bischoff, Laura A. (January 14, 2003). "Jennette Bradley Takes Oath And Place In History; She Is Nation's First Black Female Lieutenant Governor". Dayton Daily News – via NexisUni.
- ^ "Smooth Transitions". State News (Council of State Governments). 48 (3): 34. March 2005 – via EBSCOhost - Academic Search Complete.
- ^ Provance, Jim (May 4, 2018). "Treasurer's race pits state lawmaker against former county auditor". Toledo Blade. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ Foley, Mike (September 7, 2016). "Columbus Officials Name Members Of Charter Review Committee". www.wcbe.org. Retrieved June 20, 2019.