Richard Cordray

Attorney General Cordray is a tireless advocate for Ohio families, serving with professionalism and compassion. Click on a topic below to learn more about Rich:

2010 Endorsement List

A large and diverse group of organizations have endorsed Attorney General Richard Cordray for re-election.

Continue reading 2010 Endorsement List

Richard Cordray: A Life of Service

Richard Cordray is truly a "Son of Ohio." Born and raised in the small town of Grove City, Rich and his wife Peggy, along with their twins, Danny and Holly, now live very close to his childhood home.

The bedrock of his beliefs is the intersection of public service and education: he enjoys talking about his job to schoolchildren as much as they enjoy asking about his experience as a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion. Rich remains in touch with many of his schoolteachers, who were powerful and positive influences in his life and critical to the college scholarships he later earned.

Cordray's mother, a teacher and social worker, and his father, who worked with the developmentally disabled population his entire career, taught him to respect and be grateful for others who work in the public sector to improve the quality of life for others. His parents instilled in him a strong sense of determination and honesty, and he brings these values to every aspect of his work as Attorney General.

The values and principles that he learned as a child soon translated into a desire to help those in need, as well as the community at large; a career of advocating for just causes and serving the public was a natural fit. The Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation selected Cordray for its highest recognition, the Presidential Award, in 2003, after he worked pro bono for years on Supreme Court litigation that ultimately saved legal aid funding nationwide. The Human Rights Campaign named him as Humanitarian of the Year in 2000 for his work promoting tolerance and understanding in our communities.

His unmatched credibility in the courtroom, record as an award-winning manager, proven civic leadership, and advocacy at the highest levels for those with the least are hallmarks of Richard Cordray's service as Attorney General for the people of Ohio.

Richard Cordray: Protecting Ohioans

The position of Attorney General is commonly referred to as "the people's lawyer", with good cause. As the top law enforcement and legal official of the state, the Attorney General plays a key role in enforcing the law and protecting our communities.

Attorney General Cordray takes his duty of representing the best interest of all Ohioans with the utmost seriousness. Together with his staff of highly trained professionals, he works every day to protect the people of Ohio from greed and crime in its many forms.

Richard Cordray began his role as a protector of Ohioans many years before he took office as Attorney General; indeed, his entire legal and public service career was built on the principle of using the law as a means to improve the lives of his fellow citizens.

As a State Representative, Cordray enacted legislation to toughen Ohio's criminal laws, including the creation of new statutes to protect people from stalking, reform death penalty jury selection, and facilitate undercover sting operations, as well as measures to improve apprehension, fingerprinting, and photographing of juvenile suspects.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Cordray successfully defended law enforcement and national security officers in precedent-setting cases that protect officers who perform their duties in good faith from the risk of bankruptcy or personal hardship to defend themselves if they are sued for doing their jobs.

Richard Cordray's longstanding background of protecting the public by improving our laws and enforcing them with vigor and compassion have helped to prepare him for the work he is now doing to protect Ohioans on a daily basis.

Richard Cordray: Unmatched Qualifications

Richard Cordray's qualifications to serve as Ohio Attorney General are simply unmatched.

Cordray's unique legal background makes him an ideal fit for the complicated and wide-ranging duties of this office. He received his Master's degree in Economics from Oxford University with first-class honors before graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. He served as the first Solicitor General in the Ohio Attorney General's office from 1993 to 1994, taught for thirteen years at The Ohio State University College of Law, and practiced law for two decades in government, private firms, and sole proprietorship. He also had the rare distinction of serving as law clerk for two U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and in the years since he has personally argued seven cases before our nation's highest court of law.

When Cordray was elected Attorney General in 2008, earning more votes than any Democrat had ever received for statewide office in Ohio, he brought with him the administrative and financial experience of having served as the Treasurer of Ohio, a job in which he managed all state banking and oversaw an $18 billion investment portfolio. Others took note of his professionalism: the U.S. Small Business Administration named him as a Financial Services Champion for his work supporting small businesses, and NeighborWorks America selected him for its Government Service Award for state officials for his work on foreclosure prevention. Cordray had previously served as the Treasurer of Franklin County, Ohio's second-largest county, where he was named as the "County Leader of the Year" nationally by American City & County Magazine in 2005.

Cordray has not only defended, enforced, studied, and taught the law - he also made laws as a State Representative from 1991 to 1993, granting him valuable legislative experience and insight.

From all these experiences, Attorney General Cordray understands very well how the thoughtful and effective enforcement of Ohio law affects our state's residents, and how the law can be used as a tool to help protect them and improve their lives.