Jennette Bradley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennette Bradley
62nd Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
In office January 13, 2003 – January 5, 2005
Governor	Bob Taft
Preceded by	Maureen O'Connor
Succeeded by	Bruce E. Johnson
Treasurer of Ohio
In office January 5, 2005 – January 8, 2007
Governor	Bob Taft
Preceded by	Joe Deters
Succeeded by	Richard Cordray
Columbus City Council
In office 1991–2002
Personal details
Born	(1952-10-02) October 2, 1952 (age 72) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Michael C. Taylor (m. 1990)
Alma mater	Wittenberg University
Profession	Politician

Jennette B. Bradley (born October 2, 1952) is an American politician. She is a member of the Republican Party. Jennette Bradley served as the 62nd lieutenant governor of Ohio from 2003 to 2005. She was also the Ohio State Treasurer from 2005 to 2007.

Jennette Bradley made history in Ohio. She was the first African American woman to be elected to a statewide office there.

Early Life and Education

Jennette Bradley was born in Columbus, Ohio. Her family moved to a neighborhood on the east side of Columbus. This was after her father retired from the United States Army.

She graduated from East High School in 1970. After high school, Bradley went to Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. She studied psychology and earned a degree from the university.

Early Career Steps

After college, Bradley started working at the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. At just 28 years old, she became the first Black woman to lead this organization. She also served on the Wittenberg Board of Trustees.

In 1986, Bradley moved to Washington, D.C. She returned to Columbus in 1989. There, she worked as a senior executive for Huntington National Bank.

Serving on the Columbus City Council

In 1991, Jennette Bradley decided to run for the Columbus City Council. She ran as a candidate for the Republican Party. Voters reelected her in 1995 and again in 1999.

During her time on the City Council, she led important committees. She was the chair of the Recreation and Parks Committee. She also chaired the Public Utilities Committee. Bradley left the council in 2003 when she became Lieutenant Governor.

Becoming Lieutenant Governor

In 2002, Bob Taft, who was the Governor at the time, chose Jennette Bradley as his running mate. This meant she would run for Lieutenant Governor alongside him. She replaced Maureen O'Connor in this role.

Some people did not support Bradley for various reasons. Despite this, Taft and Bradley won the election. They received about 58% of the votes.

Jennette Bradley became the third woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. She was also the first African-American woman elected to this office in Ohio. In fact, she was the first Black female lieutenant governor in any U.S. state.

Roles as Lieutenant Governor

After taking office, Governor Taft gave Bradley several important jobs. She was put in charge of the Ohio Department of Commerce. She also led the Clean Ohio Council. Another role was heading the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.

In 2004, the governor also appointed Bradley to the "Jobs Cabinet." This group worked on creating jobs in Ohio.

Transition to State Treasurer

In January 2005, Joseph T. Deters resigned from his position as Ohio State Treasurer. Governor Taft then appointed Jennette Bradley to fill this role. She resigned as Lieutenant Governor to take on her new job as Treasurer.

However, in the May 2006 Republican primary election, Bradley was defeated. She lost to Sandra O'Brien. After this, Jennette Bradley returned to private life in 2007. She has sometimes worked as a consultant for the Columbus City Council.

Later Public Service

In 2016, Jennette Bradley was chosen for a special committee. More than 100 people wanted to be on this committee. Only 9 were selected. Their job was to review the rules and structure of the Columbus City Council.

See also

• List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States