Ed Rendell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ed Rendell
Rendell in 2004
45th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office January 21, 2003 – January 18, 2011
Lieutenant	Catherine Baker Knoll Joe Scarnati
Preceded by	Mark Schweiker
Succeeded by	Tom Corbett
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 14, 2008 – July 20, 2009
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)
Preceded by	Roy Romer
Succeeded by	Terry McAuliffe (Chair)
96th Mayor of Philadelphia
In office January 6, 1992 – January 3, 2000
Preceded by	Wilson Goode
Succeeded by	John Street
21st District Attorney of Philadelphia
In office January 2, 1978 – January 6, 1986
Preceded by	Emmett Fitzpatrick
Succeeded by	Ronald Castille
Personal details
Born	Edward Gene Rendell (1944-01-05) January 5, 1944 (age 81) 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 former lawyer. He served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. Before that, he was the chairman of the national Democratic Party from 1999 to 2001. He also served as the mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000. Earlier in his career, he was the district attorney of Philadelphia from 1978 to 1986.

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 and his law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He became the District Attorney of Philadelphia for two terms.

In 1991, Rendell was elected mayor of Philadelphia. The city had big money problems, including a $250 million debt. As mayor, he fixed Philadelphia's budget and created extra money for the city. He also lowered business taxes and made city services much better. The New York Times said that Philadelphia, under Rendell, had an amazing comeback. He was even called "America's Mayor" by Al Gore.

In 2002, Rendell was elected governor of Pennsylvania. He was a leader in the Democratic Governors Association and chairman of the National Governors Association. He was reelected in 2006 by a large number of votes. He finished his time as governor in 2011 because of term limits. Rendell is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles football team. He also works as a football analyst on TV.

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 family was Jewish, and his grandparents had moved from Russia. He went to Riverdale Country School. Then he attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1965. In 1968, he earned a law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He also served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve from 1968 to 1974.

District Attorney of Philadelphia

Rendell was elected district attorney of Philadelphia in 1977. He was the youngest person to hold that job at the time. He won by beating the current district attorney in the primary election. Rendell campaigned by saying he was new to politics and not involved in corruption.

As district attorney, Rendell was known for being very direct. He served two terms as DA. In 1986, he left the position to run for governor of Pennsylvania. However, he lost in the Democratic primary election.

Mayor of Philadelphia

Rendell as mayor

In 1987, Rendell ran for mayor of Philadelphia but lost. Four years later, in 1991, he ran again and won. He won by a large margin against his opponent.

When Rendell became mayor, Philadelphia had huge financial problems. The city had a $250 million debt. During his time as mayor, Rendell fixed the city's budget. He also created budget surpluses for five years in a row. He lowered business and wage taxes. He also greatly improved services in Philadelphia neighborhoods. He was called "Philadelphia's Renaissance" because of how well he managed the city's money. He also appointed the city's first Latino deputy mayors. Even though his cost-cutting ideas faced some opposition, he was re-elected in 1995.

A book called A Prayer for the City was written about Rendell's first term as mayor. The author had a lot of access to the mayor during that time. The New York Times said Rendell's work as mayor was "the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history." This was because of his strong will and energy.

In 1996, Rendell signed an order that allowed same-sex couples in Philadelphia to receive health benefits.

2002 Governor Campaign

When Ed Rendell decided to run for governor of Pennsylvania, he did not have the support of his state party. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party supported another candidate, Bob Casey Jr. Rendell won the nomination by winning only 10 out of 67 counties. These included Philadelphia and its surrounding areas.

In the main election in November 2002, he won against Republican Mike Fisher. Rendell received 53 percent of the votes. He won in Philadelphia and its suburbs, which usually voted Republican. These voters who supported Rendell were sometimes called Rendellicans.

Governor of Pennsylvania (2003–2011)

First Term as Governor

Rendell's first major plan as governor was called The Plan for a New Pennsylvania. It suggested using money from slot machines to lower taxes by $1 billion. It also included $687 million more for education. The plan passed, but with a smaller tax increase and less money for education. The final budget also added taxes on cigarettes and utilities.

Later that year, Rendell's team passed a plan for prescription drugs. This plan helped older Pennsylvanians pay for their medicine. In his first year, Rendell created an office to cut $1 billion in government costs. One big success was changing how the state bought things. This saved $180 million each year.

In 2004, Rendell convinced the Pennsylvania General Assembly to make slot machine gambling legal and tax it. The money from these taxes was used to lower property taxes. Before this, only horse racing and the state lottery were legal forms of gambling in Pennsylvania.

Rendell also faced some criticism. In 2004, he said his state trooper drivers sometimes drove him over 100 mph. He said he was surprised and started an investigation. Later, the State Police made a rule that troopers could not go over the speed limit unless it was an emergency.

In 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 many people protested, Rendell signed a bill to cancel the pay raise.

Second Term as Governor

Rendell and lieutenant governor Knoll after their 2006 reelection win

Rendell won re-election on November 7, 2006. He defeated Lynn Swann, a former football player. Rendell received 60 percent of the votes.

He was sworn in for his second term on January 16, 2007. In 2007, Rendell spoke out against the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). He criticized their high executive salaries and expenses. He wanted PHEAA to use its profits to help fund state grants for college students.

In July 2007, Rendell ordered a 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 capital punishment. He signed 78 execution warrants during his time as governor. However, none of them were carried out because of legal delays.

In December 2008, Rendell received some criticism for a comment he made. He said that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano was "perfect" for a job because she had "no family" and could work "19, 20 hours a day."

In 2009, Rendell proposed cutting many state programs to save money. This was because the state expected a $2.3 billion budget shortage.

Rendell also tried to add tolls to Route 80, a highway that crosses Pennsylvania. This led to a long battle with state and federal officials. The Federal Highway Administration rejected his plan three times.

Involvement in Presidential Elections

Rendell speaking in support of Barack Obama in Horsham, Pennsylvania, on October 13, 2008

Rendell was considered as a possible running mate for Senator John Kerry in the 2004 presidential campaign. His popularity in the areas around Philadelphia helped Kerry win in Pennsylvania.

On January 24, 2008, Rendell announced his support for Hillary Clinton in her race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He said she "really cares about moving this country forward." He also said she had the best health-care plan.

Rendell was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton. He argued that some news outlets were unfair in their coverage of 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.

After Being Governor

Rendell signing his book in 2012

Rendell with Governors Tom Corbett, Tom Wolf, Tom Ridge, and Mark Schweiker in 2015

Rendell and Governor Tom Wolf in 2019

Ed Rendell could not run for governor again in 2010 because of term limits. Tom Corbett became the next governor in January 2011. After leaving office, Rendell went back to working at his old law firm.

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.

In 2016, Rendell said that he made a mistake while he was governor. He felt he focused too much on the money benefits of shale gas drilling. He said he should have been more concerned about how it affected Pennsylvania's environment.

Personal Life

His wife, Marjorie Rendell, is a Federal judge. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton. They got married on July 10, 1971, and have one son named Jesse.

Ed and Marjorie Rendell announced they were separating 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 mayor of Philadelphia 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 a TV show called Eagles Postgame Live. He once made a bet on the Super Bowl XXXIX. He promised to wear a New England Patriots jersey and sing the national anthem if the Eagles lost, which they did.

He also lost friendly bets with other governors when Philadelphia teams lost. For example, he lost a bet with the Governor of New York when the Philadelphia Phillies lost to the New York Yankees in 2009. He also lost a bet with the Governor of Illinois when the Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. However, in 2006, he won a bet with the Governor of Washington when the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL.

As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Rendell often supports the Penn basketball team. He can often be seen at their games.

On December 26, 2010, an Eagles home game was postponed because of a coming blizzard. Rendell said that Americans had become "a nation of wusses." He joked that if it were China, they would not have called off the game. As a result, 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."

Gubernatorial Election Results

See also

In Spanish: Ed Rendell para niños

• Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit