Richard Cordray was elected Ohio Attorney General in November 2008. He previously served as Ohio Treasurer, Franklin County Treasurer, Ohio’s first State Solicitor and as a State Representative.

Cordray’s career has been guided by the spirit of community service and the belief that government should strive to make a positive difference in the daily lives of its citizens. As a state representative, he carried the Ohio Community Service Education Act. He has been recognized by the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation for his work supporting legal services for the poor, and by the Human Rights Campaign for his efforts to promote tolerance and understanding in our communities.

As Ohio Treasurer, Richard Cordray managed the state’s investments – a portfolio of about $18 billion. His commitment to cutting costs, enhancing economic development and promoting financial security among Ohioans has led to national recognition: In 2008 he received the Excellence in Government Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants; the NeighborWorks American Government Service Award for his work on foreclosure prevention; and was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Financial Services Champion for the Midwest region.

During his two terms as Franklin County Treasurer, Cordray created the first county land bank to redevelop blighted properties, collected record levels of delinquent taxes, and promoted personal finance education. In 2005, he was named American City & County magazine’s “County Leader of the Year” for his innovative work.

Cordray graduated Summa Cum Laude from Michigan State University and was awarded a Marshall Scholarship to attend Oxford University in England, where he earned a master’s of arts with First Class Honors in philosophy, politics and economics. Cordray graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was editor in chief of the Law Review and named to the Order of the Coif. He served as a U.S. Supreme Court law clerk for Justices Byron R. White and Anthony M. Kennedy. Cordray has argued six cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and taught constitutional law for 13 years at The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law.

He and his wife Peggy, a professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus, have 10-year-old twins, Danny and Holly. They reside in Grove City, Ohio.