Governor of Ohio
November 5, 2002 · general election · 3 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.
- Career environmental engineer and consultant
- B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering; born March 7, 1947 in Springfield, Ohio
- Active in the Natural Law Party of Ohio; ran for Ohio Senate in 1996, Lieutenant Governor in 1998, U.S. Senate in 2000, Governor in 2002 and Secretary of State in 2006
4 of 11 sections researched · 3 sources
- Worked as a baker and steelworker in Youngstown before earning his urban-studies degree in 1975, then worked as a social worker in Youngstown.
- Trustee of Olmsted Township.
- B.A., Youngstown State University.
9 of 11 sections researched · 10 sources
- Attorney licensed to practice law in Ohio.
- B.A. in government, Yale University, 1963; M.A. in government, Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, 1967; J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1976.
- Peace Corps volunteer and teacher, Tanzania, 1963-1965.
9 of 11 sections researched · 18 sources
John Eastman
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | not researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | not researched |
| money | not researched |
| interests | not researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
Tim Hagan
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
Bob Taft
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | 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.
Donors: 1 for Bob Taft, 0 for John Eastman and 0 for Tim Hagan. The gap is in our research, not in them.
Where they stand: Bob Taft has 6 entries, Tim Hagan has 2 entries and John Eastman has 0 entries. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Bob Taft's record in office has 6 entries, Tim Hagan's has 3 and John Eastman's has 0. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Sources: Bob Taft has 14 entries, Tim Hagan has 8 entries and John Eastman 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
- John Eastman: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
- Tim Hagan: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
- Bob Taft: 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.
Economic development
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
None found in the records checked
Bob Taft
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Campaigned on continuing the Third Frontier Project, a roughly $1.6 billion state technology and biotechnology/advanced-manufacturing investment program aimed at diversifying Ohio's economy beyond traditional manufacturing.
Sources: thelantern.com · nga.org
Economy
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Said Taft had failed to provide leadership and blamed him for rising bankruptcies, unemployment, home foreclosures, property taxes, prescription-drug costs, tuition and the state budget deficit.
Source: cleveland19.com
Bob Taft
None found in the records checked
Education
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
None found in the records checked
Bob Taft
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Touted Ohio Reads, a K-4 volunteer literacy-tutoring program that by 2002 involved more than 40,000 volunteers, and pledged to continue 'Rebuilding Ohio's Schools,' his 12-year, $10.1 billion school-construction program.
Sources: thelantern.com · citybeat.com
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Framed education as his top priority with a focus on accountability, requiring that a high school diploma signify real, employable skills; once in office created Ohio Reads, a K-4 volunteer reading-tutoring program that grew to more than 40,000 volunteers by 2002.
Source: citybeat.com
Election result
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
None found in the records checked
Bob Taft
We won a decisive victory. This (year) has been the most diverse ticket in the history of the state
Source: thelantern.com
Health care
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Criticized Taft's newly announced prescription-drug discount program for Golden Buckeye cardholders as not meeting seniors' needs.
Source: cleveland19.com
Bob Taft
None found in the records checked
Jobs
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
None found in the records checked
Bob Taft
created or saved 100,000 jobs
Source: citybeat.com
Taxes/budget
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
None found in the records checked
Bob Taft
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Ran on keeping the state budget balanced without new taxes and holding the line on spending, contrasting his own smaller, $150 million tax-relief package with Fisher's proposed $1.1 billion property-tax cut, which Taft's campaign said would produce a deficit.
Source: crabwalk.wordpress.com
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.
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
Not yet researched
Bob Taft
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagan (D) | 1982 | office | Cuyahoga County Commissioner |
| Hagan (D) | 2005 | office | Cuyahoga County Commissioner |
| Hagan (D) | 1990-05 | action | 1990-05 (action): As a Cuyahoga County Commissioner, was one of the chief political architects, alongside Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White, of the 'Gateway' s |
| Hagan (D) | 1994 | action | 1994 (action): The Gateway project he championed ran over budget: during the four-year construction period, cost overruns required repeated arrangements fo |
| Hagan (D) | 2010-09 | statement | 2010-09 (statement): Was a vocal critic of the Jimmy Dimora-led corruption scandal that engulfed the county commission in 2008-2010; he was not implicated in tha |
| Taft (R) | 1977 | office | Ohio House of Representatives, 65th District |
| Taft (R) | 1981 | office | Hamilton County Commissioner |
| Taft (R) | 1991-01 | office | Secretary of State of Ohio |
| Taft (R) | 1999-01-11 | office | Governor of Ohio |
| Taft (R) | 1998-10 | action | 1998-10 (action): A Taft campaign ad quoted a Cleveland Plain Dealer article as saying 'Taft didn't raise the taxes' regarding his time as Hamilton County com |
| Taft (R) | 1999 | action | 1999 (action): Launched the Third Frontier Project, a long-term state investment in biotechnology, advanced-manufacturing and technology-sector job creatio |
| Taft (R) | 1999 | action | 1999 (action): Took office amid the DeRolph v. Ohio school-funding crisis, in which the Ohio Supreme Court had already ruled the state's school-funding sys |
| Taft (R) | 1999 | statement | 1999 (statement): Ohio's unemployment rate rose from 4.2% in January 1999, when Taft took office, to 5.7% by July 2002 -- a 35.7% increase versus a 19.1% nati |
| Taft (R) | 2000 | action | 2000 (action): Backed the Clean Ohio Fund, a $400 million bond program voters approved in a 2000 ballot issue, for brownfield cleanup, farmland and green-s |
| Taft (R) | 2001-12 | action | 2001-12 (action): Addressed a projected $1.2 billion (growing to a reported $1.9 billion) two-year state budget shortfall, produced by the national recession, |
John Eastman
Not yet researched
Tim Hagan
-
September 2010 · statement
Was a vocal critic of the Jimmy Dimora-led corruption scandal that engulfed the county commission in 2008-2010; he was not implicated in that federal probe and publicly called for Dimora's resignation.
Source: crainscleveland.com
-
1994 · action
The Gateway project he championed ran over budget: during the four-year construction period, cost overruns required repeated arrangements for additional funds, for which Cuyahoga County guaranteed repayment. With Mayor Mike White, Hagan also successfully pushed for the elimination of the property tax on the sports facilities.
Cleveland Scene:
The Failed Promises of Gateway
· the sourceSources: clevescene.com · case.edu
-
May 1990 · action
As a Cuyahoga County Commissioner, was one of the chief political architects, alongside Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White, of the 'Gateway' sin-tax initiative that persuaded voters to approve a county tax on alcohol and cigarettes to finance the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex, resulting in the construction of Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) and Gund Arena (now Rocket Arena).
Sources: clevescene.com · case.edu
Bob Taft
-
December 2001 · action
Addressed a projected $1.2 billion (growing to a reported $1.9 billion) two-year state budget shortfall, produced by the national recession, primarily through spending cuts, draws on the state's rainy-day fund, and reallocation of tobacco-settlement money, signing budget-balancing legislation in December 2001; critics said he had failed to adequately build up the rainy-day fund earlier in his term.
Sources: citybeat.com · en.wikipedia.org
-
2000 · action
Backed the Clean Ohio Fund, a $400 million bond program voters approved in a 2000 ballot issue, for brownfield cleanup, farmland and green-space preservation, and urban revitalization.
Source: thelantern.com
-
1999 · action
Took office amid the DeRolph v. Ohio school-funding crisis, in which the Ohio Supreme Court had already ruled the state's school-funding system unconstitutional (further rulings came in May 2000 and September 2001); per CityBeat's review, his sole initial education initiative was the comparatively modest Ohio Reads program until repeated unconstitutionality rulings forced the larger 'Rebuilding Ohio's Schools' construction plan.
Cincinnati CityBeat investigative review:
vehemently fought any increase in school spending
· the sourceSources: citybeat.com · bricker.com
-
1999 · statement
Ohio's unemployment rate rose from 4.2% in January 1999, when Taft took office, to 5.7% by July 2002 -- a 35.7% increase versus a 19.1% national increase over the same span, per Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by Cincinnati CityBeat, which called his ads' jobs claim misleading because it counted only gross job gains.
Source: citybeat.com
-
1999 · action
Launched the Third Frontier Project, a long-term state investment in biotechnology, advanced-manufacturing and technology-sector job creation, which ultimately dispersed $681 million and was credited with generating $6.6 billion in economic impact and roughly 41,300 jobs by 2009.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
-
October 1998 · action
A Taft campaign ad quoted a Cleveland Plain Dealer article as saying 'Taft didn't raise the taxes' regarding his time as Hamilton County commissioner, omitting the word 'himself' from the original text; the Fisher campaign sought and briefly won a Franklin County Common Pleas restraining order, which the Ohio Supreme Court vacated on jurisdictional grounds without ruling on the ad's accuracy.
Ohio Supreme Court, State ex rel. Taft-O'Connor '98 v. Franklin Cty. Court of Common Pleas:
the Ohio Elections Commission, not a common pleas court, has exclusive jurisdiction over false-statement election claims
· the sourceSources: caselaw.findlaw.com · clipfile.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 |
John Eastman
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
Tim Hagan
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
OhioSOS, as of November 2002: raised .
Source: vindyarchives.com
Top donors, as filed
None found in the records checked
Outside spending
None found in the records checked
In-state share
Not yet researched
Bob Taft
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| From | To | Dollars | Share of total | Note |
|---|
Totals as filed
OhioSOS, as of November 2002: raised $12,000,000.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · wnd.com
Top donors, as filed
-
Thomas Noe · $22,190 · campaign committee
Toledo-area rare-coin dealer and GOP fundraiser, later central figure in the 2005 'Coingate' scandal
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · washingtonpost.com
Outside spending
None found in the records checked
In-state share
Not yet researched
The result
Bob Taft · certified 2002-11-05 · turnout 47.18
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: 2002 Ohio gubernatorial election · Tim Hagan · Bob Taft · Thomas Noe · 1998 Ohio gubernatorial election
- 2002 Ohio gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- John Eastman (I) · FOX19 (WXIX) · accessed 2026-09-24
- JOHN EASTMAN FOR US SENATE - committee overview · FEC.gov · accessed 2026-09-24
- 2006 Ohio Election Results · The Green Papers · accessed 2026-09-24
- Tim Hagan · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- GOVERNOR'S RACE: For Taft, Hagan, battle is atypical · Vindicator/Vindy Archives · 2002-10-29 · accessed 2026-09-21
- Analyst: Hagan Likely Didn't Shake Up Race · Cleveland19 · accessed 2026-09-21
- Gateway Economic Development Corp. · Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University · accessed 2026-09-21
- The Failed Promises of Gateway · Cleveland Scene · accessed 2026-09-21
- Jimmy Dimora, others charged in Cuyahoga County corruption investigation · Crain's Cleveland Business · accessed 2026-09-21
- Sweet Setup: Questions swirl over former Commissioner Hagan's cushy new gig · Cleveland19 · accessed 2026-09-21
- https://wiki.coolcleveland.com/wiki/Newsletter/CoolClevelandInterviewWithTimHagan
- Bob Taft · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- It's four more years for Governor Taft · The Lantern, Ohio State University · accessed 2026-09-21
- Taft's Ads Give Misleading Picture of His Record · Cincinnati CityBeat · accessed 2026-09-21
- Poll: Taft approval rating reaches historic low · Cleveland19 · accessed 2026-09-21
- Taft Admits Ethics Violations · The Washington Post · 2005-08-18 · accessed 2026-09-21
- Ohio governor fined for ethics law violation · NBC News/AP · accessed 2026-09-21
- Bob Taft · National Governors Association · accessed 2026-09-21
- Scandal rocks Ohio governor's race · WorldNetDaily · accessed 2026-09-21
- Thomas Noe · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- 1998 Ohio gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- State ex rel. Taft-O'Connor '98 v. Franklin Cty. Court of Common Pleas · Ohio Supreme Court, via FindLaw · accessed 2026-09-21
- Judge says Taft's ad can stay on the air; Fisher requests lifting of order · Clipfile.org · accessed 2026-09-21
- CNN AllPolitics Election '98 -- Ohio 1998 Polls · CNN · accessed 2026-09-21
- https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2006/2006-Ohio-6525.pdf
- https://crabwalk.wordpress.com/1998/10/03/fisher-taft-attack-each-others-records-in-new-ads/
- https://www.bricker.com/insights/resources/key/Chronology-of-the-DeRolph-v-Ohio-School-Funding-Litigation
Quick answers
When was the 2002 Governor of Ohio election?
The election for Governor of Ohio was held on November 5, 2002.
Who ran for Governor of Ohio in 2002?
On the ballot for Governor of Ohio, in surname order: John Eastman (Independent), Tim Hagan (Democratic), Bob Taft (Republican).
Who won the 2002 Governor of Ohio election?
Bob Taft won the election for Governor of Ohio. Results as certified: Tim Hagan 38.3%, Bob Taft 57.8%.
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Governor of Ohio, 2002", https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/2002/governor/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31