Former Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland, and former First Lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland, will be the featured speakers this Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Fayette County Democrats’ annual Obama Legacy Dinner.
Ted Strickland was elected as the 68th Governor of Ohio and served from Jan. 8, 2007 to Jan. 10, 2011. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio’s 6th Congressional District.
In the 2006 gubernatorial election, Strickland was elected to succeed term-limited Republican incumbent Bob Taft after defeating Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. He was narrowly defeated for reelection in the 2010 gubernatorial election by former U.S. Representative John Kasich.
In April 2014, Strickland became president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization, according to his bio. He left that position in February 2015, and announced his intention to run for the United States Senate against incumbent Rob Portman. Strickland won the Democratic nomination, and was then defeated by Portman in the November 2016 general election.
As the First Lady of Ohio, Frances Strickland served as the chair of the Ohio Family and Children First councils, composed of state-agency leaders that help families seek government services. She is largely given credit for the design of the “Beautiful Ohio” license plate that was introduced in 2009 and served as Ohio’s standard license plate from 2010 to 2012.
As president of Smith Educational Enterprises, Frances Strickland wrote “The Little Girl Who Grew Up to Be Governor,” a 1991 children’s novel about Martha Layne Collins, the first female Governor of Kentucky.
Also expected to be a guest speaker at Sunday’s dinner is Hollie Hinton, representing the Ohio Women Suffrage Centennial Commission. Senate Bill 30 was signed into law to create this commission. The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Stephanie Kunze and Sandra Williams, passed the Ohio Senate and House unanimously and was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in April 2019. Through this year, the commission will oversee the statewide commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.
Hinton is a native of Chillicothe and has had a long-time passion for the advancement of the status of women. She was appointed director of the Ohio Governor’s Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach under Gov. Strickland. Her efforts led to the passage of two executive orders, the establishment of the Ohio Interagency Council on Women and Girls, and culminated in a major statewide summit bringing together women from more than 60 Ohio counties.
Beth Workman, the Democratic candidate for Ohio’s 92nd House of Representatives seat, will also be speaking at the Democratic dinner on Sunday.
Workman, of Chillicothe, is running against the winner of the Republican primary due to Rep. Gary Scherer being term limited. Since November 2018, she has used her voice to advocate for educational funding issues and local initiatives in her community, according to her bio. She hopes to build upon the Cupp-Patterson plan for educational funding, end high-stakes testing, reform the grading of a school district on the state report card, and continue fighting for the dignity of work and working class Ohioans.
Doors will open at the Obama Legacy Dinner at 5:30 p.m. at Our Place Restaurant, 827 E. Market St. in Washington C.H. Tickets are $15 per person. Those interested in tickets can contact Fayette County Democratic Party Executive Committee Chairperson Judy Craig at 740-572-2689.
Reach Ryan Carter at 740-313-0352.
