Bob Taft | |
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![]() Official portrait, 1990 | |
67th Governor of Ohio | |
In office January 11, 1999 – January 8, 2007 | |
Lieutenant | Maureen O'Connor Jennette Bradley Bruce Johnson |
Preceded by | Nancy Hollister |
Succeeded by | Ted Strickland |
47th Secretary of State of Ohio | |
In office January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1999 | |
Governor | George Voinovich Nancy Hollister |
Preceded by | Sherrod Brown |
Succeeded by | Ken Blackwell |
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 65th district | |
In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 | |
Preceded by | Frank H. Mayfield |
Succeeded by | John O'Brien |
Personal details | |
Born | Robert Alphonso Taft III January 8, 1942 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Hope Taft (m. 1967) |
Children | Anna Taft |
Parent(s) | Robert A. Taft Jr. Blanca Duncan Noel |
Education | Yale University (BA) Princeton University (MA) University of Cincinnati (JD) |
Robert Alphonso Taft III (born January 8, 1942) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 67th governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Taft political dynasty and Republican Party, Taft previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives, then as Hamilton County commissioner, and as Ohio Secretary of State under governor George Voinovich.
Taft was born in Boston and raised in Cincinnati. His first public office was representing the 65th district in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981. He then served as commissioner for Hamilton County from 1981 to 1990. Taft ran for lieutenant governor in 1986 but was unsuccessful. After that, he was elected Secretary of State of Ohio in 1990 and was reelected in 1994. Taft won the 1998 Ohio gubernatorial election with 50 percent of the vote and became governor in January 1999. In his first term, he had high approval ratings and was easily reelected in 2002, defeating his opponent by over 600,000 votes.
In August 2005, as a result of the Coingate scandal, Taft was indicted with four misdemeanors related to him receiving undisclosed gifts and accepting illegal campaign contributions, making him the first Ohio governor charged with a crime while in office.[2] He pleaded no contest to the charges and was fined $4,000. Despite his fallout from the conviction, Taft continued to serve as governor until his second term expired in January 2007. After leaving office, Taft worked for the University of Dayton, beginning August 15, 2007.[3]