Tim Hagan
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Timothy Hagan (born in 1946 in Youngstown, Ohio), a Democrat, is an American politician of the Ohio Democratic party.
Hagan grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, as one of seven siblings (including a twin brother, James) and graduated from Ursuline High School. Hagan then attended Youngstown State University (then known as Youngstown State College). He was drafted for military service during the Vietnam War and sent to serve in Germany in the late 1960s. After leaving the military, he worked as a baker and a steelworker in Youngstown before going on to earn earned a degree in urban studies from Cleveland State University in 1975. He then worked as a social worker in Youngstown.
In 1973, Hagan married his first wife, Jean Carney. Carney's father, John Carney, a successful property developer and influential man, helped Hagan get his start in Democratic politics in Carney's 1971 campaign for mayor of Cleveland.
In 1978, Hagan became chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party beating Garfield Heights, Ohio ward leader Henry S. Trubiano in a lopsided victory. In that position, he became one of the first Democrats to endorse Edward M. Kennedy in the 1980 presidential election over the sitting Democratic president Jimmy Carter. This was not a lone decision. Prior to his endorsement, Hagan ha been a guest of Edward M. Kennedy at his home in Hyannisport. After he had been appointed County Recorder, then failed to keep the seat in an election, Hagan ran for a seat on the Cuyahoga County commission for the first time that year, losing to Republican Virgil Brown. He ran again in 1981, this time successfully. Hagan served on the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, commission for 16 years (1982-1998).
In 1989, Hagan made an unsuccessful attempt for the office of mayor of Cleveland, losing the Democratic primary to Ohio state Sen. Michael R. White, who went on to defeat Cleveland City Council President George L. Forbes in the general election. In 1992, with White's endorsement, Hagan made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Rose Oakar.
At the end of 1998, Hagan announced his retirement from electoral politics, making self-deprecating remarks about the "twilight of [his] mediocre career."
Hagan described himself as an avowed liberal, ingrained by his father's politics, and experssed regret at the moderate trend in the Democrat party in the 1990s. He was known to quote Camus in his speeches, a habit that did not earn him the affection of blue-collar voters. But he allowed for compromises with his innate liberalism, agreeing to go along with government funding for the Cleveland Gateway project, which included the construction of Jacobs Field and Gund Arena.
Hagan has received praise from both sides of the political aisle. Republican Jim Petro, the Ohio State Auditor and former fellow commissioner, called him "the most honorable politician I've ever known." He even earned the friendship of former rival Forbes, who, during the 1989 election, had described Hagan as a "pimp."
Hagan ran into political trouble when it was revealed that Cuyahoga County Treasurer Francis E. Gaul (famous for saying that "Most people in Cleveland think Camus is the whale at Sea World.") had made risky investments using county funds, having assured the Board of Commissioners that the Secured Assets Fund Earnings (SAFE) fund was free of risk. Hagan was called as a witness for the defense in Gaul's trial, saying that he had "implicitly" trusted Gaul's reassurances that the investements were safe.
It was 1994, however, and the booming economy mitigated the county treasury's losses and Hagan managed to win re-election to the Board of Commissioners.
In 2002, he ran for the office of governor of Ohio and lost to the incumbent Republican, Robert A. Taft II, in a lopsided race that saw Hagan raising only $1.5 million compared to Taft's contribution of $9 million from his personal fortune to help his re-election.
In February 2004, Hagan announced his intention to run again for a seat on the Cuyahoga County commission against fellow Democrat and former colleague, Tim McCormack. Hagan easily defeated McCormack in the Democratic primary election and faced no Republican opposition in the November 2004 general election.
He is the husband of actress Kate Mulgrew and has a close relationship with members of the Kennedy family -- he is a godfather to Kate Kennedy, one of Robert Kennedy's grandchildren and was a pallbearer at the funeral of Stephen E. Smith, husband of Jean Kennedy Smith.
Hagan's father, Robert E. Hagan, served as a county commissioner on the Board of Commissioners of Trumbull County, Ohio and in the Ohio General Assembly. Hagan's brother Robert F. Hagan is a member of the Ohio State Senate.
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