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Ed Rendell

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Ed Rendell
45th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
January 21, 2003 – present
LieutenantCatherine Baker Knoll
Preceded byMark S. Schweiker
Personal details
BornJanuary 5 1944
New York City, New York
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMarjorie Rendell
ProfessionAttorney, Politician

Edward Gene Rendell (born January 5 1944) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003.

He was born in New York City to Jewish American parents (Jesse T. Rendell and Emma Sloat). He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965 and a Juris Doctor from Villanova Law School in 1968. He served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Rendell served as district attorney of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1985. In 1986, he was defeated in the Democratic primary for Governor by Robert P. Casey, the father of his opponent in the 2002 primary election, Robert Patrick Casey, Jr.. He served as Mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000, before running for Governor in 2002. As mayor, he helped improve neighborhoods and balance the city's budget. These cost-cutting policies brought him strong opposition from labor unions; however, he was re-elected in 1995 with 80 percent of the vote. He was nicknamed America's Mayor by Al Gore and chaired the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 presidential election. He is currently Finance Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.

Mayor of Philadelphia

Among the Mayor's notable accomplishments, Rendell cut a $250 million deficit; balanced Philadelphia's budget and started five consecutive budget surpluses; reduced business and wage taxes for four consecutive years; implemented new revenue-generating initiatives, and dramatically improved services to the City's neighborhoods. The New York Times referred to Rendell's job as mayor as "the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history."

Governor of Pennsylvania

Rendell was sworn in as Pennsylvania's 45th Governor on January 21, 2003.

The first piece of legislation Rendell initiated was The Plan for a New Pennsylvania. The Plan reduced taxes by one and a half billion dollars, an average 30% decrease for homeowners, and also took steps to improve the financial situation of many older Pennsylvanians and others who live on fixed incomes. Supporters claim this plan closes the resource gap between school districts while at the same time investing up to $1.25 billion annually within three years to fund proven programs that boost student achievement. Later that year, the Rendell administration also passed a prescription drug plan to cover older Pennsylvanians.

However, Governor Rendell was heavily criticized for his stubborness in passing his first fiscal year budget. Pennsylvania did operate without a budget for over six months due to difficulties in negotiations.

In 2004, Governor Rendell persuaded the General Assembly to pass measures to legalize (and tax) slot machine parlors so the money can be used to grant property tax relief. Due to a compromise with the legislature, Rendell was forced to accept a provision requiring that this relief only be administered in areas where the local school boards have voted to accept the funding. Act 72, as it came to be known, was ratified by only one fifth of Pennsylvania's school districts and is seen as a failure for the Rendell Administration. Prior to this legislation, the only legal forms of gambling were horse racing and the state-run lottery, meaning that Governor Rendell has taken criticism from many opponents of legalized gambling.

As a result of Act 72, Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania legislature are attempting to pass other proposals that would grant property tax relief. In addition, the governor has expressed a willingness to consider legislation to change Act 72. Legislation exists that would force school districts to accept the money, while other legislation exists that would require the issue to be considered by the individual citizens of each district as a ballot question, rather than by their school boards. Property tax relief and Act 72 are issues of great controversy, however, and have been subject to political gridlock.

2006 Re-election bid

See also: Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2006

Governor Rendell is widely expected to seek re-election to his current position in 2006. Indeed, he has been actively raising money, and has even set up a re-election website (see [1]).

As of January 2006, five individuals – three Republicans and two independents - are running campaigns to oppose Rendell’s re-election bid. These include:

Jeffery Piccola, the Majority Whip of the Pennsylvania State Senate, also attempted to run for the Republican nomination to oppose Rendell. However, Piccola's campaign, which began in 2005, never caught fire. As a result, he was forced to drop out of the race in early 2006, before the Republican primary was held.

Two other individuals, one Republican and one Democrat, have also been mentioned as possible candidates. On the Republican side, there is a movement to convince Bruce Castor, the District Attorney for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, to run against Rendell himself. On the Democratic side, Michael Morrill, the 2002 Green Party nominee for governor, is considering a primary challenge to Rendell from the left. If he runs, Morrill will likely attempt to court support from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party by attacking what he perceives as flaws in Governor Rendell's record on labor unions, civil liberties, and poverty alleviation.

Early polling suggested that Rendell’s re-election battle may be tougher than many initially anticipated.

In July, 2005, for example, a Rasmusson Poll showed Rendell with only a 47% to 41% lead over Lynn Swann. Governor Rendell led Bill Scranton by an even narrower margin of 46% to 42%. (see [3]). These numbers have caused some to speculate that controversy over Act 72, proposed Medicaid cuts, and possibly even a legislative pay increase that was signed into law may be taking their toll on the Governor’s popularity.

Despite this, Rendell’s supporters point out that he has currently raised more money than any of the Republican candidates for governor, which they feel will help him spread his message. They also point out that no Pennsylvania governor has lost re-election since the 1950s, and that, as a sitting governor, Rendell has all of the traditional advantages of an incumbent (see [4]).

In January, 2006, polls showed Rendell in a dead heat with Swann.


The Republican and Democratic nominees for governor will not be determined until the primary election in May, 2006.

Presidential politics

Some experts and pundits initially considered Rendell to be a possible running mate for presidential candidate John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, although John Edwards was eventually chosen by Kerry. A Pennsylvania Democratic legislative leader who served in elective office concurrently with Rendell going back to Rendell's early years as District Attorney of Philadelphia, State Rep. Mark B. Cohen of Philadelphia, said that "Edwards' national campaigning and deep Southern roots was just too much for Rendell backers to overcome."

Rendell's popularity, especially in the suburban ring of counties around Philadelphia, was a key to Kerry's victory in Pennsylvania, one of the most hotly-contested "swing states" in the 2004 presidential election.

His political savvy and problem solving abilities along with an easy-going personality and speaking-style put him on the long list of possible future Presidential candidates. However, he recently said that he is "not really" interested in running in 2008 (see [5]). Nevertheless, he is drawing considerable attention. His service as district attorney and Mayor demonstrated a law enforcement focus that could be a positive campaign asset, as could his military service. But in early 2005 he made statements that seemed to support President George W. Bush's Social Security privatization proposal. Rendell addressed this issue again in later speeches, saying that he opposes social security privitization, and that his previous comments were meant to show admiration for President Bush for taking on a politically risky subject. Nevertheless, his earlier statements have cost him support among Democrats who are against Social Security privatization.

Rendell's chances in a presidential race may also be hindered by Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor, Catherine Baker Knoll. Knoll has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans within the Pennsylvania political community for her supposedly odd behavior. If Rendell is elected President and Knoll is still Lt. Governor, Knoll will ascend to the Governor's mansion in early 2009 when Rendell resigns. Some have speculated that the thought of Catherine Baker Knoll as Governor may be enough to dissuade much of Rendell's base in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party from supporting him, which might hurt his chances in the Democratic Primary.

Governor Rendell is also a close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, leading some to speculate that he may not run if Senator Clinton is in the race. He is also unlikely to run for President in 2008 if he fails in his 2006 re-election bid.

Sports fan

The mass snowballing of former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson is often attributed to Rendell. As the story goes, Rendell wagered twenty dollars that the person sitting next to him could not hit Johnson in the head with a snowball at an Eagles - Cowboys football game at Veterans Stadium. The incident 'snowballed' and resulted in many fans hurling snowballs at Johnson. Rendell remains a proud Eagles fan today and the Governor appears on a post-game television show to provide commentary each Sunday. He even made a friendly wager on the outcome of Super Bowl XXXIX, promising to wear a New England Patriots jersey and sing the National Anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers/Boston Celtics game if the Eagles lost, which they did.

Family

His wife, Marjorie Rendell, is a federal judge. They married July 10, 1971. They have one son, Jesse, a 2002 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and bassist for the southern New Jersey band.

Misc

Rendell is a Freemason and a Scottish Rite Mason.

References

Template:Incumbent succession box
Preceded by Mayor of Philadelphia
1992–2000 		Succeeded by
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