Jennifer Brunner

Jennifer Brunner is Ohio’s Secretary of State. She was elected Ohio’s first woman Secretary of State in 2006, in the wake of Ohio's troubled 2004 election process, pledging elections that were free, fair, open and honest. During the contentious 2008 presidential election in which Ohio was a key battleground state, Jennifer defended Ohioans' voting rights in numerous cases in both state and federal court, eventually winning in the United States Supreme Court to protect voters and their ballots from being targeted for election challenges by partisan operatives. Her achievement in reforming Ohio's election system resulted in a markedly improved process, with a record number of Ohioans voting in 2008. Her efforts earned her a Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Her history of public service includes being elected a state trial court judge of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court in Columbus, Ohio in 2000. After her 2002 reelection, Judge Brunner created and managed a drug court to reduce crime and save taxpayer dollars.