Eric Fingerhut
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Eric David Fingerhut (b. May 6, 1959, in University Heights, Ohio) is an American politician of the Ohio Democratic party.
Fingerhut received a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 1981 and a law degree from Stanford University in 1984. He practiced law until becoming associate director of Cleveland Works, a post he served in from 1987-1989. Fingerhut served on the campaign staff and worked for Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White.
Fingerhut served as an Ohio state senator from 1991 to 1993. In 1992, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 19th district and began serving in 1993 (103rd Congress). In his re-election bid in 1994, however, Fingerhut was defeated by Republican Steve LaTourette. While Congressman, he was chided by Washington pundits for buying a house in Washington in his first term, something that is almost never done. He was also criticized back home for stating he would vote against President Clinton's tax increase, then voted for it after heavy strongarming. In addition, he he only maintained a "mail-drop" residence in his district. He claimed to live in Mayfield Heights in eastern Cuyahoga County, but was usually seen leaving an apartment in the Shaker Square neighborhood in Cleveland. These factors resulted in his defeat by LaTourette, the popular prosecuting attorney of Lake County.
After his defeat in Congress, Fingerhut easily won a seat again in the Ohio Senate, representing district 25. He served two full terms from 1999 through 2007, retiring due to term limits.
In 2004, he became the Democratic nominee to try to unseat incumbent U.S. Senator George Voinovich, although his candidacy was overshadowed by speculation that TV show host Jerry Springer might enter the race. Fingerhut went on to lose to Voinovich on November 2, 2004, garnering less than 40 percent of the vote. He was particularly hampered by the fact that Voinovich is himself from Cleveland, significantly cutting into Fingerhut's base in normally Democratic northeastern Ohio; he failed to win a single county, even Cuyahoga in the northeast or Athens County, the very liberal home of Ohio University. During his Senate campaign, he chanted "I say Finger, you say Hut, Finger-hut! Finger-hut!"
In January of 2006, Fingerhut announced his candidacy for governor of Ohio, joining U.S. Representative Ted Strickland who was also seeking the post. On February 14, 2006 Fingerhut dropped out of the race, citing his inability to raise the funds and support from the same sources that Congressman Ted Strickland's running mate Lee Fisher derived. [1]
Fingerhut, who also worked as a consultant for the Cleveland Federation of Community Planning while in the Ohio Senate, is presently serving on the Business Administration faculty of Baldwin-Wallace College and was chosen by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland as State Chancellor of Higher Education.
[edit] See also
- Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 19th District
- Election Results, U.S. Senator from Ohio
- List of United States Representatives from Ohio
