Bernadine Kennedy Kent is a former state representative for the 25th District of the
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate.
The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...
. She is a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
. The district consists of a portion of
Columbus as well as portions of
Blendon,
Clinton,
Mifflin and
Sharon townships in
Franklin County.
Life and career
Kennedy Kent was born and raised in
East Chicago, Indiana
East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,698 at the 2010 census. The city is home of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing ac ...
, the daughter of immigrants from the South who worked in the steel mills. She would later attend
Central State University, settling in Ohio thereafter. Her husband, a Vietnam
Green Beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...
, is the son of a
Tuskegee Airman
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...
.
A lifelong educator, Kennedy Kent taught for years in the
Columbus Public Schools
Columbus City Schools, formerly known as Columbus Public Schools, is the official school district for the city of Columbus, Ohio, and serves most of the city (portions of the city are served by suburban school districts). The district has 46,6 ...
system, being named Teacher of the Year in 1999. She ran unsuccessfully for the Columbus Board of Education twice. Despite this, Kennedy Kent was successful in her run for State Representative of the 25th district in 2016. She is known as a whistleblower and known as a community advocate on a variety of issues.
Ohio House of Representatives
In 2016, Kennedy Kent opted to run for the Ohio House following news that incumbent Representative
Kevin Boyce would instead run for Franklin County Commissioner. In a four-way Democratic primary, Kennedy Kent received a plurality of over 35% of the vote. Kennedy Kent received the endorsement of the Franklin County Democratic Party, the Columbus Education Association and other union groups. She was also endorsed by the Columbus Dispatch who referred to her as independent, smart and tenacious. In her first term as State Representative of the 25th District and with a majority Republican House and Senate, Representative Kent introduced H.B. 317 to mandate that Ohio law enforcement report child abuse and neglect. Ohio had been the only state left where law enforcement were not mandated reporters.
After criticism for use of an official Ohio Legislative Black Caucus letterhead as Vice President of the black caucus, she was expelled from Ohio's House Democratic caucus. Citing safety reasons and intimidation, she has refused to show up at the Ohio Statehouse for over a year after being physically obstructed from her Caucus by the Caucus legal counsel Sarah Cherry but still retains her seat and her salary.
Representative Kent has stated her constituents are losing out because of the actions of her Democratic colleagues. She also created a second bill, which passed into law, that named a highway in memory of an Ohio Department of Transportation worker. She has also retained an attorney to file a writ of mandamus to fight for victims of crime and ensure Marsy’s law is adhered to after Ohioans overwhelming voted to amend the Ohio Constitution to expand the rights of victims of crimes.
In September 2020, Kennedy Kent endorsed Republican President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
for
reelection
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
over Democratic nominee
Joe Biden.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Bernadine
Living people
Central State University alumni
Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
Women state legislators in Ohio
21st-century American women politicians
People from East Chicago, Indiana
Year of birth missing (living people)
African-American state legislators in Ohio
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American politicians