Person
David Pepper
- Work
- Attorney specializing in commercial litigation at the law firm Blank Rome in Cincinnati.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Work
- Has taught voting rights at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Public service
- Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, January 2015 to December 2020.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Education
- B.A., magna cum laude, Yale University; J.D., Yale Law School.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
- Home
- Cincinnati, Ohio.
Source: ohiodcca.org
- $5.8MRaised, as filed · April 3, 2015
- Not yet researchedCash on hand
- 39%Latest poll · Columbus Dispatch Poll, October 22, 2014
- 3Positions in their words · 3 issues
- none on fileClaims checked
- 2Offices held · Former Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners, 2007–2011
9 of 11 sections researched
Not yet researched: What they have said, checked, Endorsements.
What has been checked
- Profile 9 entries Checked Wikipedia for education, his legal and academic career, and his Ohio Democratic Party chairmanship dates, and an Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association article confirming his current Cincinnati residence. Ballotpedia's page returned no retrievable content via automated fetch. He was never a member of Congress, so bioguide.congress.gov and history.house.gov do not apply.
- On the ballot 0 entries The 2014 race is complete; no pending candidacy is published for it.
- Where they stand 3 entries
- What they have said, checked None found in the records checked No fact-checker rating of a 2014-cycle statement by David Pepper was found in the records checked.
- Record in office 4 entries
- Money 2 entries The research archive found no full itemized donor breakdown for either candidate's 2014 committee.
- Financial interests 1 entry
- Polling and approval 1 entry
- Elections 2 entries
- Endorsements Not yet researched
- Sources 10 entries
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | none found |
| record | researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Chamber | District | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | All of Ohio | Attorney General of Ohio |
On the ballot
None found in the records checked
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Where they stand
Criminal justice
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Called on the Attorney General's office to expand its Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiative by enlisting qualified regional crime labs, including one in Hamilton County, rather than relying solely on the state lab, pledging to clear the existing backlog within 150 days of taking office.
Government efficiency
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Positioned himself as a reformer who would bring "outsider," business-minded fiscal management to the Auditor's office, emphasizing his record cutting Hamilton County's general fund while balancing budgets for 2009 and 2010 during the recession.
Source: David Pepper
Government ethics
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Charged that DeWine's office had steered lucrative state debt-collection work to firms and individuals who made large campaign contributions, including firms that gave shortly before or after applying for panel work.
What they have said, checked
None found in the records checked
Said about David Pepper
-
laid off cops, and closed jails and let criminals run free in the streets
PolitiFact rated this Barely True, September 3, 2010 · the check
Record in office
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Person | Date | Kind | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepper (D) | 2007-01 | office | Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners |
| Pepper (D) | 2001-11 | office | Cincinnati City Council |
| Pepper (D) | 2002 | bill | 2002 (bill): As a Cincinnati city councilman, sponsored legislation directing the city to collect municipal income tax from visiting professional athlete |
| Pepper (D) | 2009 | action | 2009 (action): As Hamilton County Commissioner, led a fiscal turnaround his campaign later cited as roughly $60 million in cuts while balancing county budg |
| Pepper (D) | 2009 | action | 2009 (action): After voters rejected a proposed public-safety tax he backed, the county commission he led unanimously approved a 2009 budget resulting in 1 |
| Pepper (D) | 2010 | action | 2010 (action): As Hamilton County Commissioner, part of a Board that adopted a framework in December 2009 to address a structural deficit in the county's s |
-
action 2010
As Hamilton County Commissioner, part of a Board that adopted a framework in December 2009 to address a structural deficit in the county's stadium sales-tax fund, including dedicating a share of anticipated casino revenue and negotiating lease concessions from the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals.
-
action 2009
As Hamilton County Commissioner, led a fiscal turnaround his campaign later cited as roughly $60 million in cuts while balancing county budgets for 2009 and 2010 during the recession, and spearheaded a foreclosure-prevention program.
Source: David Pepper (politician)
-
action 2009
After voters rejected a proposed public-safety tax he backed, the county commission he led unanimously approved a 2009 budget resulting in 165 layoffs, including 24 sheriff's deputies, and the closure of one county jail facility; Yost's 2010 attack singling him out for this was rated Mostly False by PolitiFact.
PolitiFact, September 3, 2010:
Mostly False
· the source -
bill 2002
As a Cincinnati city councilman, sponsored legislation directing the city to collect municipal income tax from visiting professional athletes and entertainers, Cincinnati's "jock tax."
PolitiFact, September 29, 2010:
kicked off a jock tax, imposing a levy on the sports and entertainment industry
· the sourceSource: GOP auditor candidate Dave Yost says opponent David Pepper kicked off a jock tax
Money
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| From | To | Dollars | Share of total | Note |
|---|
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
| Race | Filer | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney General of Ohio | OhioSOS | $5,771,103 | April 3, 2015 | ||
| Auditor of State of Ohio | OhioSOS | $605,000 | 2010 |
Source: Ohio Attorney General election, 2014
Source: Tea Party test could come in auditor's race
Outside spending
Financial interests
Disclosed holdings
None found in the records checked.
Disclosed income
None found in the records checked.
Reported conflicts
None found in the records checked.
Net worth, as estimated
-
$2,000,000 to $2,000,000, 2010
Estimated by Widely cited secondary sources, not independently verified against a primary financial-disclosure filing.
Source: David Pepper
Polling and approval
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Field date | Candidate | Share | Poll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2014 | David Pepper | 39 | Columbus Dispatch Poll, likely voters |
-
Columbus Dispatch Poll · October 22, 2014 · Attorney General of Ohio
DeWine 61 · Pepper 39
likely voters
Elections
| Race | Party | Result | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney General of Ohio (2014) | Democratic | Lost | 1,178,426 | 38.5% |
| Auditor of State of Ohio (2010) | Democratic | Lost | 1,683,330 | 44.9% |
Offices held
Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners · 2007-01 to 2011-01 · elected
Source: David Pepper (politician)
Cincinnati City Council · 2001-11 to 2005 · elected
Source: David Pepper (politician)
Endorsements
Not yet researched
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: David Pepper (politician) · 2014 Ohio Attorney General election · 2010 Ohio State Auditor election
Every URL on this page, once each.
- David Pepper · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- David Pepper (politician) · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio Attorney General election, 2014 · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2014 Ohio Attorney General election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Pepper says DeWine rigged bid for friend · Dayton Daily News · 2014-07 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Rape kit testing becoming political debate · Fox19 · 2014 · accessed 2026-09-19
- GOP auditor candidate Dave Yost says opponent David Pepper kicked off a jock tax · PolitiFact · 2010-09-29 · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2010 Budget in Brief, Board of County Commissioners · Hamilton County government · 2010 · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2010 Ohio State Auditor election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Tea Party test could come in auditor's race · Springfield News-Sun · accessed 2026-09-21
- https://www.ohiodcca.org/16742-2/
- Republican Dave Yost attacks Democratic David Pepper on taxes and public safety in race for Ohio auditor · PolitiFact · 2010-09-03 · accessed 2026-09-21
- Audit search · Ohio Auditor of State · accessed 2026-10-15
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "David Pepper", https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/david-pepper/, built 2026-11-03, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-11-03