Bob Hagan

Robert F. Hagan is an American politician affiliated with the Democratic party who currently holds a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. Hagan won that office in the 2006 general elections and was sworn into office in the Ohio House of Representatives as the member from the 60th state house district.

Before that, he served as the 33rd district senator in the Ohio State Senate. During his time in the Ohio State Senate, he was chosen by the Senate Democratic caucus to serve as assistant minority whip in the 126th Ohio General Assembly; however, he stepped down from his leadership post when he entered the race for State Representative. [citation|title=Under The Influence: The Disinformation Guide to Drugs |author= Peet, Preston|year= 2004|publisher=The Disinformation Company |id=ISBN 1932857001|url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1932857001&id=uC0_YznYjScC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&ots=rYXV8OnNae&dq=%22Bob+Hagan%22+ohio+OR+senator+OR+democrat&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=-We8_PsATzXzH_rBnMf_rLC-bXc]

Hagan has been discussed as a possible Speaker of the House of Representatives if the Democrats regain the chamber during the 2008 elections. (From [http://www.theotherpaper.com/TOP5-24/5-24_coverstory.htm Other Paper - 05/24/2007 Issue] Currently the Democrats are four seats shy of the majority.

Early political career

Before entering electoral politics, Hagan worked for 15 years as a locomotive engineer for CSX Transportation. In 1986, he was elected to a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 53rd Ohio House district, centered on Youngstown, Ohio. At the time, his father, Robert E. Hagan, was also serving in the House. Between 1986 and 1990, the Hagans were the first father and son to simultaneously hold seats in the Ohio House of Representatives. Hagan served in the House for 10 years. He was appointed to the State Senate on Feb. 12, 1997, to represent the 33rd district in northeastern Ohio, centered on the city of Youngstown, Ohio.

Hagan's brother, Timothy Hagan, served for many years as a county commissioner in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. In 2002, Tim Hagan was the Democratic nominee for the office of Governor of Ohio.

Recent developments

In 2005, Hagan ran for mayor of Youngstown, hoping to replace outgoing mayor George McKelvey. Although initially favored to win, he faced formidable competition from independent candidate Jay Williams. On election night, Williams came out on top, and Hagan's political future became uncertain. He entered the race for State Representative of the 60th District and was elected to that office on November 7, 2006

Controversy

A strong proponent of liberal agendas, Hagan occasionally uses satire to make a point. In February 2006, he placed a spoof request for co-sponsors for a fictional piece of legislation called the "Republican Adoption Ban of 2006." The bill was meant as a response to HB 515, which was a ban on adoption by homosexual or bisexual people or couples, and in presenting the fake legislation Hagan cited so-called "credible research" indicating that children in Republican households had a host of emotional problems.

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