Nancy Hollister

Nancy Elizabeth Hollister (née Putnam; born May 22, 1949) is an American politician who was the 66th governor of Ohio from December 1998 to January 1999. Hollister was the first and, to date, only female Ohio governor. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 60th lieutenant governor of Ohio under George Voinovich and succeeded him after he resigned to join the U.S. Senate. Hollister later served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1999 to 2004.

Hollister attended Kent State University, and upon leaving college she became a housewife. She began her political career in the 1980s, first becoming a member of the city council in Marietta, Ohio, and eventually being elected mayor. In the 1994 Ohio gubernatorial election, George Voinovich picked her as his candidate for lieutenant governor. Hollister ran to represent Ohio's 6th congressional district in 1998, but lost to incumbent Ted Strickland.

After Voinovich resigned, Hollister served as governor for 11 days, taking few political actions during her brief tenure. She was appointed to a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives almost immediately after leaving the governorship, where she was succeeded by fellow Republican Bob Taft. She won election to a full term in 2000 and 2002. In 2004, Hollister was defeated for re-election, attributed in part to her opposition to a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage.