Richard Pfeiffer (politician)

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Richard "Rick" Pfeiffer, Jr. (born April 12, 1944) is a Democratic politician and a former member of the Ohio Senate. He served as the city attorney of Columbus, Ohio from 2003 to 2017.

Richard Pfeiffer
Member of the Ohio Senate
from the 15th district
In office
January 3, 1983 – March 31, 1992
Preceded byJohn Chickasaw
Succeeded byBen Espy
Personal details
Born (1944-04-12) April 12, 1944 (age 80)
Fort Jackson, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJanet Preskenis
Children3, including Sacha Pfeiffer

Life and career

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Born in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Pfeiffer was raised in Columbus, Ohio. He is the son of Marie (née Stoll) and Richard Pfeiffer.[1]

An attorney, Pfeiffer initially won an open seat in the Senate in 1982, succeeding Republican John Kasich, who won election to the United States Congress.[2]

In 1986, Pfeiffer was mentioned as a potential running mate to Richard Celeste.[3] However, the spot ultimately went to Paul Leonard. Pfeiffer subsequently won reelection to the Senate, and again won reelection in 1990.

Pfeiffer won election as judge of the Franklin County Environmental Court in 1992, and as a result, resigned from the Senate. He was succeeded by Ben Espy.[4] He served on the bench until 2003, when he became Columbus city attorney.[5] Pfeiffer was included as a judge in the documentary Flag Wars which examined "the collision between African-American homeowners and gay, white interlopers", according to a report in the Boston Globe.

In December 2016, Pfeiffer announced he would not seek re-election as Columbus city attorney after his term expiring on December 31, 2017.[6] City Council president Zach Klein sought and won the office in the November 2017 general election.[7]

Personal life

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Pfeiffer is married to Janet Preskenis; his children include journalist Sacha Pfeiffer, Sonya Pfeiffer, and Seth Pfeiffer.[5]

References

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