Former U.S. Senator, Ohio governor died Sunday at 79

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed a resolution on Tuesday, honoring former Gov. and U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, who died in his sleep Sunday at age 79.

The resolution was authored by Ohio’s current U.S. senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman.

“George Voinovich represented the best of public service, dedicating his life to helping others and standing up for the people of Ohio,” Portman said. “George woke up every day wondering how he could make life better for Ohioans. He was a man of integrity who was effective at bringing people together to achieve meaningful results. He loved his hometown of Cleveland and was a proud son of Ohio. I will always be grateful for his friendship, and I am pleased the Senate passed this bipartisan resolution.”

Brown said he and his wife extended their condolences to the Voinovich family.

“George was a man of strong conviction, yet he was always willing to listen to the other side of an argument and put what he believed was best for our state and country ahead of partisan politics. George was a true public servant who loved the city of Cleveland and the people of Ohio, and his legacy will live on in the lasting contributions he made to our city and our state.”

Voinovich, a Republican, enjoyed a long career in Ohio politics. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, as the state’s lieutenant governor and as mayor of Cleveland.

He was elected governor in in 1990 and served two terms. He enjoyed high popularity in office, as the state saw substantial job growth during the 1990s economic boom.

In 1998, he was elected to the seat being vacated by the retiring U.S. Sen. John Glenn and served two terms in Washington before stepping down in 2011.

His 2004 re-election was one of the largest landslides in the state’s history, in which he carried every county and received more votes than any governor or U.S. Senate candidate up to that point.

As a moderate in his party, he made headlines frequently in his second term for criticism of the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq.

Since retiring, he was named a senior fellow at Cleveland State University at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and the Ohio Visiting Professor of Leadership and Public Affairs at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. Earlier this year, he endorsed the presidential campaign of Ohio’s current governor, Republican John Kasich. He was set to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention next month.

President Barack Obama, who served in the Senate with Voinovich, issued a statement Tuesday on his passing “George was a true patriot who dedicated his life to serving the people of Ohio,” Obama said. “His dedication is underscored by the fact that he holds the record for being elected to more public offices than any other Ohioan in history. George leaves behind a powerful legacy of service to his state and country that will not soon be forgotten.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, paid his respects to Voinovich on Twitter.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of former Gov. and Sen. George Voinovich, who passed away,” Johnson wrote. “Ohio lost a legendary leader.”

Voinovich will lie in state at Cleveland City Hall on Friday, before a funeral mass will take place at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Euclid. Burial will be at All Souls Cemetery in Chardon. Kasich has ordered the state’s flags to half staff in his honor.