Ted Strickland was born on August 4, 1941, in Lucasville, Ohio. A strong advocate of education, he graduated from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky in 1963, with his undergraduate degree. In 1967, he received a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological School and, in 1980, a doctorate in counseling psychology in 1980.

Strickland has held numerous positions in both the private and public sectors. An ordained Methodist minister, he has served in ministerial positions, as well as worked as the director of a Methodist youth home. He also taught psychology courses at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. In the late 1970s, he also pursued a career in politics. He ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1976, 1978, and 1980 as a member of the Democratic Party. Strickland lost all three elections.

Strickland retired from politics for the next decade, but in 1992, he again sought election to the United States House of Representatives, winning this time. Unfortunately, for Strickland, Southern Ohio voters did not reelect him in 1994, choosing the Republican candidate instead. Undaunted, Strickland again sought this House seat in 1996, winning the election. Southern Ohio voters reelected him in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. While in the House, Strickland became known as a strong advocate for job creation in Appalachia. He also has emphasized more federal funding for education.

In 2006, Strickland received the Democratic Party’s nomination for the Ohio governor and ran against Kenneth Blackwell, the Republican Party’s candidate. Strickland’s campaign emphasized more and fairer educational funding and job creation. In an election dominated by the Democratic Party, Strickland handily defeated Blackwell.

Strickland became a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics in spring 2012. Strickland spoke on the first night of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in a speech against the policies of Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

In April 2014, Strickland became president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Strickland left that position in February 2015.

On February 25, 2015, Strickland announced his intention to run for the United States Senate against incumbent Republican Rob Portman. On March 31, 2015, former President Bill Clinton endorsed Strickland. In September 2016, Strickland’s campaign was reported to be increasingly faltering. With poor poll results against Portman, at least two major political action committees withdrew millions of dollars in funding for advertising for Strickland, choosing instead to focus on other major Senate races in which advertising was considered more likely to make a difference. Strickland lost the 2016 general election by a large margin to Portman, 58%–37%.