Attorney General of Ohio
November 5, 2002 · general election · 2 candidates with a page
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by surname. Ohio rotates the order candidates appear in by precinct, so no order on this page is the order on a ballot.
- Attorney focusing on education, elder and public-sector law; founding partner of the law firm Reitz, Paul & Shorr.
- B.B.A. and M.B.A., Kent State University; J.D., University of Akron.
- Served as president of the Portage County United Way and vice president of the Robinson Memorial Hospital Foundation.
5 of 11 sections researched · 5 sources
- Assistant prosecuting attorney in Franklin County; assistant director of law for the city of Cleveland; private law practice.
- Elected to Rocky River City Council in 1977 and later served as the city's law director and prosecuting attorney.
- B.A., Denison University; J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
7 of 11 sections researched · 10 sources
Leigh Herington
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | not researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | not researched |
| interests | not researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
Jim Petro
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | not researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
The race in pictures
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
A note on our coverage
Read before the columns: where one candidate has more entries than another, this says which of the two reasons it is.
Where they stand: Jim Petro has 2 entries and Leigh Herington has 0 entries. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Sources: Jim Petro has 9 entries and Leigh Herington has 3 entries. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Jump to a candidate
- Leigh Herington: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
- Jim Petro: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
Where they stand
Their own words, by issue, with the date, the venue and the link. A paraphrase is marked as one.
Public corruption
Leigh Herington
Not yet researched
Jim Petro
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Ran on his record as Auditor of State, emphasizing his office's work rooting out public corruption and fraud, presenting it as evidence of his fitness to be the state's chief law-enforcement officer.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Public corruption and waste
Leigh Herington
Not yet researched
Jim Petro
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Ran for a second term on his first-term record of investigative audits of private foster-care agencies uncovering questioned costs in the millions of dollars, and on his office's broader corruption-fighting identity, which over his full tenure was credited with contributing to the criminal conviction of 110 public officials in Ohio.
Source: ohiohighered.org
What they have said, checked
Newest first. Each check is shown in the checker's own rating word, with their name, the date and the link.
Leigh Herington
Not yet researched
Jim Petro
Not yet researched
Record in office
Dated actions. Any evaluation of an action is printed with the name of whoever made it and the link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Person | Date | Kind | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herington (D) | 1995-03-31 | office | Ohio State Senate, 28th District |
| Herington (D) | 1995 | action | 1995 (action): Built a legislative record concentrated on education (charter school accountability, school finance), professional licensing (including nurs |
| Herington (D) | 1996 | action | 1996 (action): Rose through Senate Democratic leadership on the strength of colleague support: Assistant Minority Whip (1996), Assistant Minority Leader (1 |
| Petro (R) | 1981 | office | Ohio House of Representatives, 6th District |
| Petro (R) | 1987 | office | Ohio House of Representatives, 6th District |
| Petro (R) | 1991 | office | Cuyahoga County Commissioner |
| Petro (R) | 1995-01 | office | Auditor of State of Ohio |
| Petro (R) | 2003-01 | office | Attorney General of Ohio |
| Petro (R) | 1995 | action | 1995 (action): As Auditor of State, his tenure is credited with contributing to the criminal conviction of an unprecedented 110 public officials in Ohio; r |
| Petro (R) | 1997-10-03 | ruling | 1997-10-03 (ruling): Gannett Satellite Information Network sued Petro under Ohio's Public Records Act for working papers related to his Mahoning Valley Sanitary |
| Petro (R) | 1998 | action | 1998 (action): A Montgomery County Children Services Agency performance audit covering July 1997-June 1998 found $3,023,923 in questioned costs tied to ove |
| Petro (R) | 2000 | action | 2000 (action): Received the Ethics in Government and Excellence in Government Finance awards from the Government Finance Officers Association, along with t |
Leigh Herington
-
1996 · action
Rose through Senate Democratic leadership on the strength of colleague support: Assistant Minority Whip (1996), Assistant Minority Leader (1999), and Minority Leader (2001), the highest post in the Senate Democratic caucus.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
-
1995 · action
Built a legislative record concentrated on education (charter school accountability, school finance), professional licensing (including nursing licensure), worker and public-safety protections (firefighter/EMT protections), and employee-ownership programs; served on the Ways and Means, Legislative Service Commission, and Rules committees.
Source: library.kent.edu
Jim Petro
-
2000 · action
Received the Ethics in Government and Excellence in Government Finance awards from the Government Finance Officers Association, along with the Achievement of the Year award and the Snodgrass Award for Leadership from the National Association of Government Accountants.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
-
1998 · action
A Montgomery County Children Services Agency performance audit covering July 1997-June 1998 found $3,023,923 in questioned costs tied to overstated Title IV-E reimbursement claims and misuse of foster-care funds; individual agencies were charged with specific findings, including one with $1,209,680 in questioned costs for unallowed investments, a sports car and plastic-surgery expenses, and SAFY of Ohio, Inc. with $5,106,893 in excessive management fees paid to its parent company.
Sources: scribd.com · scribd.com
-
October 3, 1997 · ruling
Gannett Satellite Information Network sued Petro under Ohio's Public Records Act for working papers related to his Mahoning Valley Sanitary District investigation; the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against him, finding he had waived any applicable exemption, and awarded attorney fees to the newspapers.
Ohio Supreme Court, State ex rel. Gannett Satellite Info. Network, Inc. v. Petro:
ordered the records released and awarded attorney fees to the newspapers
· the sourceSource: courtlistener.com
-
1995 · action
As Auditor of State, his tenure is credited with contributing to the criminal conviction of an unprecedented 110 public officials in Ohio; ran what is described as the largest state auditing agency in the United States, second in size only to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Money
Totals and donors exactly as filed with the FEC or the Ohio Secretary of State, each figure with its filing link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Leigh Herington
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
Not yet researched
Top donors, as filed
Not yet researched
Outside spending
Not yet researched
In-state share
Not yet researched
Jim Petro
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
Not yet researched
Top donors, as filed
Not yet researched
Outside spending
Not yet researched
In-state share
Not yet researched
The result
Jim Petro · certified 2002-11-05
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Petro | 2,007,411 | 64.1% |
| Leigh Herington | 1,123,318 | 35.9% |
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: 2002 Ohio Attorney General election · Leigh Herington · Jim Petro · Coingate scandal · Marc Dann · 1998 Ohio State Auditor election
- 2002 Ohio Attorney General election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Leigh Herington · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Leigh Herington papers · Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives · accessed 2026-09-21
- https://www.rpsohiolaw.com/leigh-herington
- Jim Petro · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Coingate scandal · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Marc Dann · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- 1998 Ohio State Auditor election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro Wraps Up Public Service Career · Ohio Higher Ed · accessed 2026-09-21
- Montgomery County Children Services Agency performance audit, FY1997-98 · Ohio Auditor of State, via Scribd · accessed 2026-09-21
- Parmadale, Inc. 1998 agreed-upon-procedures audit · Ohio Auditor of State, via Scribd · accessed 2026-09-21
- State ex rel. Gannett Satellite Info. Network, Inc. v. Petro (1997) · Ohio Supreme Court, via CourtListener · accessed 2026-09-21
Quick answers
When was the 2002 Attorney General of Ohio election?
The election for Attorney General of Ohio was held on November 5, 2002.
Who ran for Attorney General of Ohio in 2002?
On the ballot for Attorney General of Ohio, in surname order: Leigh Herington (Democratic), Jim Petro (Republican).
Who won the 2002 Attorney General of Ohio election?
Jim Petro won the election for Attorney General of Ohio. Results as certified: Leigh Herington 35.9%, Jim Petro 64.1%.
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Attorney General of Ohio, 2002", https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/2002/attorney-general/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31