Peggy Lehner | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theOhio Senate from the6th district | |
| In office January 11, 2011 – December 31, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Jon Husted |
| Succeeded by | Niraj Antani |
| In office November 18, 2008 – December 31, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Jeff Jacobson |
| Succeeded by | Jon Husted |
| Member of theOhio House of Representatives from the 37th district | |
| In office January 5, 2009 – January 10, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Jon Husted |
| Succeeded by | Jim Butler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1950-08-05)August 5, 1950 (age 75) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jim Lehner |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence(s) | Kettering, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (BA) |
| Profession | Legislator |
Marguerite B. Lehner (born August 5, 1950) is the current mayor ofKettering, Ohio.[1] Formerly, she also served in theOhio Senate,Ohio House of Representatives, and on the Kettering City Council. Her Senate district was located entirely inMontgomery County and includedVandalia,Riverside, Kettering,Centerville,Miamisburg andGermantown. Lehner is aRepublican.
Having attendedAmerican University of Paris and graduating fromSaint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Lehner was a three-term city councilwoman in Kettering, sat on the Ohio Ethics Commission from 1991 to 1997, served as a board member for the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority and has been active in efforts to address issues facing Dayton-area suburbs for decades.[citation needed]
While Lehner was originally elected to theOhio House of Representatives in 2008, she came first to the Statehouse as a member of theOhio Senate. When SenatorJeff Jacobson resigned his seat early, he left a vacancy in an important lame duck session. Since Jacobson's elected successorJon Husted was at that time serving asSpeaker of the Ohio House, he was unable to resign and take his new seat in the Senate. Therefore, Senate leadership appointed Lehner to temporarily take a seat in the Senate to fill out the remainder of Jacobson's term. Following a month-long tenure in the Senate, Lehner then began her term as in the House.
With incumbent and Speaker of the House Husted unable to run due to term limits, Lehner opted to succeed him.[2] She faced Democrat Andi Eveslage in the general election, and won with 64% of the vote.[3] She easily won reelection in 2010 with 70% of the vote, but only would serve about a week of that term.[citation needed]
After Senator Husted was elected asOhio Secretary of State on November 2, 2010, he was required to resign his seat in the Ohio Senate. Lehner, who preceded Husted (albeit for only a month-long tenure), was named as a potential successor once the seat had been vacated. Lehner was up against five other potential appointees, including former state RepresentativeSeth Morgan.
On December 13, 2010, it was announced that the Senate Republicans had decided to appoint Lehner to fill the remaining two years of Husted's term.[4] In a homecoming of sorts, Lehner was sworn into the seat she previously held on January 11, 2011, resigning from the House to do so.[5][6]
Lehner won a full term in the Ohio Senate in 2012, defeating Democrat Rick McKiddy with 63% of the vote.[7] In 2013, she began serving as chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee. Lehner, as chairwoman, was influential in education policy, includingcharter school reform.[8] Although she is pro-charter,[9] she has advocated for stronger charter school oversight and reform.[10]
| Election results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Election | Votes for Lehner | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % |
| 2001 | Kettering City Council | General | 5,158 | 51% | Don Patterson | Democratic | 4,974 | 49% |
| 2005 | General | 10,545 | 40% | |||||
| 2008 | Ohio House of Representatives | General | 35,171 | 64% | Andi Eveslage | Democratic | 19,089 | 36% |
| 2010 | General | 28,598 | 70% | Steven Byington | Democratic | 12,429 | 30% | |
| 2012 | Ohio Senate | General | 103,183 | 62% | Rick McKiddy | Democratic | 61,235 | 38% |
| 2016 | General | 114,168 | 68% | Albert Griggs, Jr | Democratic | 53,584 | 32% | |
| 2021 | Kettering Mayor | General | 100 | Unopposed | ||||