About George Voinovich
George Victor Voinovich (July 15, 1936 – June 12, 2016) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was a United States senator from Ohio from 1999 to 2011, the 65th governor of Ohio from 1991 to 1998, and the 54th mayor of Cleveland from 1980 to 1989. He is the most recent Republican to serve as mayor of Cleveland as of 2026. Born and raised in Cleveland, Voinovich graduated from Ohio University and the Ohio State University College of Law. He spent more than 46 years in public service, first as an assistant attorney general in 1963. He began his political career in the Ohio House of Representatives before serving as Cuyahoga County auditor, county commissioner, and Ohio lieutenant governor. He was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1979 and gained national recognition for helping restore the city's financial stability after its 1978 default. Voinovich was elected governor in 1990 and reelected by a landslide in 1994. As governor, he emphasized economic development and government efficiency. He won election to the U.S. Senate in 1998, where he became known as a moderate Republican and a leading advocate of fiscal responsibility, and was reelected in 2004. Voinovich retired after his second term ended in 2011. Voinovich was the 15th person to have served as both the governor of Ohio and a U.S. senator and one of only two Cleveland mayors to later become governor of Ohio and a U.S. senator; the other was Frank Lausche. He is also the only person to have served as both chairman of the National Governors Association and president of the National League of Cities. Voinovich spent more than 46 years in public service—first as assistant attorney general of Ohio in 1963 and finally as the senior U.S. senator representing Ohio. Voinovich was the first Ohio lieutenant governor not to be elected separately from the governor. Voinovich won the election with 94,541 votes to Kucinich's 73,755. He remained lieutenant governor until he won the election.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.