Former US Sen George Voinovich, a two-term Ohio governor who preached frugality in his personal and public life and occasionally bucked the Republican establishment, died today.
He was 79.
Voinovich, considered a moderate who opposed the size of former President George W. Bush's tax cuts and later questioned Bush's war strategy in Iraq, died peacefully in his sleep, his wife Janet confirmed. His death came as a surprise to friends.
The Republican had delivered public remarks Friday at a 25th Slovenian Independence Day event at Cleveland City Hall. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention coming to Cleveland next month.
In June 2003, doctors implanted a cardiac pacemaker because his heart rate had slowed down over several years due to a condition called progressive sinus bradycardia and Voinovich had experienced various health challenges in recent years.
During his 12 years in the Senate, Voinovich occasionally found himself at odds with Republican conservatives. He was an early supporter of a proposed federal bailout for the auto industry, which employs thousands of people in Ohio, and he was the rare Republican during the Bush administration to suggest raising taxes to pay for the war in Iraq and hurricane relief.
Twice elected to the Senate, Voinovich announced in early 2009 that he would not run again in 2010. He said he wanted to retire to spend more time with his family and at his condo on Florida's Gulf Coast.
He also planned to write a book and agreed to be a consultant and adviser on major research projects at Ohio University and Cleveland State University.
He was succeeded by fellow Republican and former congressman Rob Portman of Cincinnati. Portman said in a statement today that Voinovich "exemplified everything good about public service. It was never about him, but always about helping others. He was an independent voice who never hesitated to speak his mind."
Ohio Gov John Kasich remembered Voinovich for bringing people together for the common good.
"He was a unifier who thought outside the box, never gave up and worked hard for the ideas he believed in up until the very end of his life," Kasich said in a statement today.
"Thanks to that leadership he saved Cleveland, governed Ohio compassionately and responsibly and was a candid voice for reason in the US Senate.
