Voinovich, George Victor (1936-2016), served in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2011. Voinovich, a Republican, represented Ohio.
Voinovich had served as governor of Ohio from 1991 to 1998. As governor, he became known for increasing state support for programs that help children and families.
Voinovich was born in Cleveland on July 15, 1936. He received a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in 1958 and a law degree from Ohio State University in 1961.
In 1963 and 1964, Voinovich was assistant attorney general for Ohio. From 1967 to 1971, he served in the Ohio state House of Representatives. He was Cuyahoga County auditor from 1971 to 1976 and Cuyahoga County commissioner from 1977 to 1978. He served as lieutenant governor in 1979.
From 1979 to 1989, Voinovich served as mayor of Cleveland. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1990 and reelected in 1994. In 1998, he won election to his first term in the U.S. Senate. He took office in 1999. In the Senate, Voinovich became known as an independent who voted against his party on several measures related to budgets, diplomacy, and social issues. He did not seek reelection in 2010. Voinovich died on June 12, 2016.
