Randall L. Gardner (born 1958) is an American politician, who formerly served as a Republican member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of t ...

, serving the 2nd District from 2013–2018. He held the same district from 2001 to 2008, and was a member of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

from 1985 to 2000, and from 2008 to 2012. In January 2019, Governor

Mike Dewine Richard Michael DeWine ( ; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th List of governors of Ohio, governor of Ohio since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served a ...

appointed Gardner as the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Life and career

Gardner first entered Ohio politics in 1985, when he was appointed to a seat vacated by former State Representative, Robert Brown. He went on to serve 7 more full terms in the House, until the time being term limited in 2000. With State Senator

Bob Latta Robert Edward Latta ( ; born April 18, 1956) is an American politician who is the United States representative for . Currently in his 10th term, Latta has served in Congress since 2007, and prior to that he served four terms in the Ohio House o ...

not running for reelection to his seat, Gardner decided to run in 2000. He did, and in 2001, took his seat in the upper chamber. He quickly rose in the ranks, and served as president pro-tempore for the 125th General Assembly. In 2004, he faced weak opposition, and once again won his senate bid. He served as majority leader for the 126th General Assembly and the 127th General Assembly. With then-Senate President Doug White facing term limits, Gardner and Senator Jeff Jacobson were looked at as two potential successors. However, by the end of 2003, Gardner had withdrawn as a candidate, citing the desire to eliminate uncertainty in the

caucus A caucus is a group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to ...

. Soon after, Jacobson in early 2004, became associated with a lobbying scandal, and Gardner once again emerged as a potential contender. In late summer 2004, he once again withdrew, and gave his support to Bill Harris, who went on to become president. Gardner made it evident half way through 2007 that he intended to run for his old House seat in 2008, when he faced term limits in the Senate. However, when Congressman

Paul Gillmor Paul Eugene Gillmor (February 1, 1939 – September 5, 2007) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the U.S. representative from the 5th congressional district of Ohio from 1989 until his death in 2007. Early life, ...

was found dead in his

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

area apartment, Gardner was mentioned as a potential successor, but on September 17, 2007, Gardner stated he was staying in the state legislature.Gardner Passes on Congressional Race
/ref> When

ended up winning the congressional race to succeed Gillmor, Latta's 6th District Ohio House seat became vacant. Gardner therefore resigned his Senate seat and was appointed early to the seat he was running for in the fall. He was subsequently placed as ranking member of the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Finance Committee.

Return to the Ohio Senate

In 2012, Mark Wagoner opted to not run again for the 2nd District, opening up the election. Gardner again opted to switch chambers, and ultimately won his former district with 58.66% of the vote over Democrat Jeff Bretz.

Committee assignments

*Finance: Education Sub.--Chair *Education *Rules & Reference *Health & Human Services *Energy and Natural Resources

Electoral history

References

External links

Project Vote Smart - Senator Randall 'Randy' Gardner (OH)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Randall Gardner
200620042002200019981996
campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Randy 1958 births Bowling Green State University alumni Chancellors of the University System of Ohio Living people Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Republican Party Ohio state senators People from Bowling Green, Ohio