Tim Hagan

Timothy Hagan (born March 18, 1946) is an American politician who served as Cuyahoga County Commissioner and other local offices from the 1980s through 2000s, and was his party's nominee for the governorship of Ohio in 2002.

Hagan was born and grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, as one of fourteen siblings (including a twin brother, James).^[1] Hagan's father, Robert Hagan, was a Trumbull County Commissioner and, later, a State Representative. After graduating from Ursuline High School, Hagan attended Youngstown State University (then known as Youngstown State College). He was drafted for military service during the Vietnam War and served in Germany in the late 1960s. After leaving the military, he worked as a baker and steelworker in Youngstown before going on to earn a degree in urban studies from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University in 1975.^[1] He then worked as a social worker in Youngstown.

In 1978, Hagan became chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, beating Garfield Heights ward leader Henry S. Trubiano. 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. Prior to his endorsement, Hagan had been a guest of Kennedy at his home in Hyannisport.

Hagan was appointed Cuyahoga County's county recorder, but he failed to keep the seat in an election. He then ran for a seat on the Cuyahoga County board of commissioners, losing to Republican Virgil Brown. He ran again in 1981, this time successfully. Hagan served on the county 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 Senator 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 U.S. House of Representatives, losing in the Democratic primary to incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Rose Oakar.

Hagan se describía a sí mismo como un liberal convencido , influenciado por la ideología política de su padre, y lamentaba la tendencia conservadora del Partido Demócrata en la década de 1990. Era conocido por citar a Albert Camus en sus discursos, una costumbre que no le granjeó el afecto de los votantes obreros . Sin embargo, estaba dispuesto a hacer concesiones respecto a su liberalismo innato, aceptando la financiación gubernamental para el proyecto Cleveland Gateway, que incluía la construcción del Jacobs Field y el Gund Arena .

Hagan ha recibido elogios de ambos lados del espectro político. El republicano Jim Petro , auditor estatal y excomisionado del condado, lo calificó como "el político más honorable que he conocido". Incluso se ganó la amistad de su antiguo rival Forbes, quien, durante las elecciones de 1989, había descrito a Hagan como un " proxeneta ".

Hagan se metió en problemas políticos cuando se reveló que el tesorero del condado de Cuyahoga, Francis E. Gaul (famoso por decir que "La mayoría de la gente en Cleveland piensa que Camus es la ballena en SeaWorld ", en referencia a Hagan) había hecho inversiones arriesgadas usando fondos del condado, después de haber asegurado a la Junta de Comisionados que el fondo de ganancias del Fondo de Activos Garantizados estaba libre de riesgos. ^{[ 2 ]} Hagan fue llamado como testigo de la defensa en el juicio de Gaul, diciendo que había confiado "implícitamente" en las garantías de Gaul de que las inversiones eran seguras.

Sin embargo, era 1994, y la pujante economía mitigó las pérdidas de la tesorería del condado, y Hagan logró ser reelegido para la junta de comisionados.

En 1996, Hagan anunció que se retiraría de la política electoral una vez finalizado su mandato a finales de 1998, declarando: «Estoy en el ocaso de una carrera mediocre. Pero tengo ganas de ir al supermercado sin que nadie me pida trabajo». ^{[ 1 ]}

En 2002 , se postuló para gobernador de Ohio y perdió ante el titular republicano , Robert A. Taft III . La campaña de Hagan contra Taft, que utilizaba un pato graznando llamado "Taftquack", generó problemas de marca registrada con el pato graznando "AFLAC", marca registrada de American Family Life Insurance Company . El tribunal federal del Distrito Norte de Ohio dictaminó que el anuncio de Hagan no infringía ni diluía la marca AFLAC. 266 F. Supp. 2d 682.

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. In November 2008, he was re-elected to the Cuyahoga County commission without opposition.

In November 2009, the voters of Cuyahoga County voted to change its governmental structure. Hagan retired as Cuyahoga County Commissioner in 2011, when the county switched to an Executive-Council form of government.^[3]

In 1973, Hagan married Jeanne Marie Carney. Carney's father, John Carney, a successful property developer and later judge, helped Hagan to get his start in Democratic politics in his brother James Carney's 1971 campaign for mayor of Cleveland.^[1] They had two daughters, Eleanor and Marie.^[4] They divorced in 1995. In 1999, Hagan married actress Kate Mulgrew.^[4] As of 2014, they had divorced.^[5]

Hagan has a close relationship with members of the Kennedy family—he is a godfather to Katherine Kennedy Townsend, one of Robert F. Kennedy's grandchildren, and was a pallbearer at the funeral of Stephen E. Smith, the late husband of Jean Kennedy Smith.^[4]

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 was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.

• Ohio gubernatorial elections