Ed Rendell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Rendell
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Rendell in 2006
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| 45th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 21, 2003 – January 18, 2011 |
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| Lieutenant |
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| Preceded by | Mark Schweiker |
| Succeeded by | Tom Corbett |
| Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office July 14, 2008 – July 20, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Pawlenty |
| Succeeded by | Jim Douglas |
| General Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
| In office September 25, 1999 – February 3, 2001 Served with Joe Andrew (National Chair) |
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| Preceded by | Roy Romer |
| Succeeded by | Terry McAuliffe (Chair) |
| 96th Mayor of Philadelphia | |
| In office January 6, 1992 – January 3, 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Wilson Goode |
| Succeeded by | John Street |
| 21st District Attorney of Philadelphia | |
| In office January 2, 1978 – January 6, 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Emmett Fitzpatrick |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Castille |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Edward Gene Rendell
January 5, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Marjorie Osterlund
(m. 1971; div. 2016) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) Villanova University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1968–1974 |
| Rank |  Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
Edward Gene Rendell (born January 5, 1944) is an American politician and author. He also worked as a prosecutor. Rendell served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011.
Before becoming governor, he held several important roles. He was the chair of the national Democratic Party from 1999 to 2001. He also served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000. Earlier in his career, he was the District Attorney of Philadelphia from 1978 to 1986.
Ed Rendell was born in New York City to a Jewish family. He moved to Philadelphia for college. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He then got his law degree from Villanova University School of Law.
As mayor of Philadelphia, he helped the city's finances. He balanced the budget and improved city services. The New York Times said Philadelphia had a "stunning turnaround" under his leadership. He was sometimes called "America's Mayor."
In 2002, Rendell was elected governor of Pennsylvania. He was reelected in 2006. He left office in 2011 due to term limits. He later wrote a book called A Nation of Wusses: How America's Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great. Rendell is also a football analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ed Rendell was born on January 5, 1944, in New York City. His parents were Emma and Jesse T. Rendell. His grandparents were immigrants from Russia.
He went to Riverdale Country School. Then he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor's degree there in 1965. In 1968, he earned his law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He also served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1968 to 1974.
Serving as District Attorney
Rendell was elected district attorney of Philadelphia in 1977. He was the youngest person to hold that job. He won against the current district attorney, Emmett Fitzpatrick. Rendell ran his campaign by saying he was new to politics. This meant he was not involved in any corruption.
As district attorney, Rendell was known for being very passionate about his work. He served two terms as DA. In 1986, he ran for governor of Pennsylvania but lost in the primary election.
Mayor of Philadelphia
In 1987, Rendell ran for mayor of Philadelphia but lost. Four years later, in 1991, he ran again and won. His opponent was Frank Rizzo, a former Philadelphia mayor. Rizzo passed away before the election. Rendell won by a large margin against Joseph M. Egan, Jr.
As mayor, Rendell faced big money problems in Philadelphia. The city had a $250 million deficit. The state government even set up a board to watch the city's finances.
During his time as mayor, Rendell fixed the budget. He oversaw five years of budget surpluses. He also lowered business and wage taxes. He greatly improved services in Philadelphia neighborhoods. He was called "Philadelphia's Renaissance or Revival" for his work. He also appointed the city's first Latino deputy mayors.
Rendell's first term as mayor was written about in a book called A Prayer for the City. The author, Buzz Bissinger, had a lot of access to the mayor. The New York Times praised Rendell's work as mayor. They called it "the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history."
In 1996, Rendell signed an order that gave health benefits to same-sex couples in Philadelphia.
Running for Governor in 2002
In 2002, Ed Rendell decided to run for governor of Pennsylvania. The state Democratic Party did not support him at first. They supported Bob Casey Jr. instead. Rendell won the primary election by winning 10 out of 67 counties. These included Philadelphia and its surrounding areas.
In the November 2002 election, he won against Republican Mike Fisher. Rendell received 53 percent of the votes. He won in Philadelphia County and also in some areas that usually vote Republican. These voters were sometimes called Rendellicans.
Governor of Pennsylvania (2003–2011)
First Term as Governor
Rendell's first major plan was called The Plan for a New Pennsylvania. It suggested using money from slot machines to lower taxes. It also included more money for education. His plan passed, but with a smaller tax increase. The budget also added taxes on cigarettes and utilities.
Later that year, his administration passed a plan to help older Pennsylvanians with prescription drugs. Rendell also created an office to cut government spending. One success was improving how the state bought things. This saved $180 million each year.
In 2004, Rendell helped pass laws to allow and tax slot machine casinos. The money from these casinos was meant to lower property taxes. Before this, only horse racing and the state lottery were legal gambling in Pennsylvania.
Rendell also worked on other ways to lower property taxes. This was a big promise from his 2002 campaign.
In 2004, Rendell said his state trooper drivers sometimes drove very fast. He said he started an investigation into this. Later, the State Police made a new rule. Troopers could not go over the speed limit unless it was an emergency.
In July 2005, Rendell signed a bill that increased pay for state lawmakers and judges. This vote happened very early in the morning without public discussion. However, after public outcry, Rendell signed a bill to cancel the pay raise later that year.
Reelection in 2006
Ed Rendell won reelection on November 7, 2006. He defeated Lynn Swann, a former football player. Rendell won with 60% of the votes.
During his reelection campaign, Rendell helped Bob Casey Jr. win his Senate election. Casey Jr. had run against Rendell for governor in 2002.
Second Term as Governor
Rendell began his second term as governor on January 16, 2007. In 2007, he criticized a state agency that handled student loans. He wanted to use their profits to help fund college grants for students.
In July 2007, Rendell ordered a brief state government shutdown. This happened because of a disagreement with the state legislature over the budget. About 25,000 state workers were temporarily sent home. The shutdown ended within eight days.
Rendell supported the Delaware River Deepening Project in 2008. This project aimed to make the Delaware River deeper for ships.
Rendell proposed cutting many state programs in early 2009. This was to deal with a large budget shortfall. He wanted to cut spending to a level below the 2002-2003 budget.
He also suggested adding tolls to Route 80. This highway crosses the entire state. This idea led to a long debate at both state and federal levels. The Federal Highway Administration rejected the plan several times.
Involvement in Presidential Elections
Rendell was considered as a possible running mate for Senator John Kerry in the 2004 presidential campaign. His popularity in Pennsylvania helped Kerry win the state. Pennsylvania was a very important swing state in that election.
On January 24, 2008, Rendell announced his support for Hillary Clinton in her race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He said she cared about moving the country forward and had the best health-care plan.
Rendell was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton. He felt that some media outlets were biased against her campaign. After Clinton left the race, Rendell supported Senator Barack Obama in June 2008. He made several appearances to help Obama's campaign.
As governor, Rendell was one of the "superdelegates" at the Democratic National Convention.
Life After Being Governor
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Ed Rendell could not run for governor again in 2010 due to term limits. Tom Corbett became the next governor on January 18, 2011. After leaving office, Rendell returned to his law firm, Ballard Spahr.
In 2011, he also became a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He also took a job as a senior advisor at an investment bank.
Rendell joined Element Partners, an investment firm, in April 2011. He also became a faculty member at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2016, Rendell said he could have done more to manage the growth of shale gas in Pennsylvania. He felt he focused too much on the money benefits and not enough on the environmental effects.
Personal Life
Ed Rendell's former wife, Marjorie Rendell, is a Federal judge. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton. They married on July 10, 1971, and have one son, Jesse.
Ed and Marjorie Rendell announced their separation in 2011. They filed for divorce in September 2016.
In June 2018, Rendell shared that he has been dealing with Parkinson's disease for over three years.
He has also appeared in a few movies. He played himself in the 1993 film Philadelphia. He also played the Philadelphia Mayor in the 2015 film The Benefactor and the 2019 film In the Shadow of the Moon.
Sports Fan
Rendell is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. He is part of the panel on the NBC Sports Philadelphia show Eagles Postgame Live. This show airs after every Eagles game.
He often makes friendly wagers on sports outcomes. For example, he lost a bet on Super Bowl XXXIX. He had to wear a New England Patriots jersey and sing the national anthem at a basketball game. He also lost bets supporting the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Flyers. However, he won a bet supporting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Rendell often supports the Penn basketball team. He can be seen at their games.
On December 26, 2010, an Eagles home game was postponed due to a blizzard. Rendell famously said, "We've become a nation of wusses." As a joke, the stadium crew piled snow on his reserved seat at the next game. They put a sign on it that said "This seat reserved for non-wussies."
Images for kids
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Rendell giving a speech in August 2006
See also
In Spanish: Ed Rendell para niños
