Jo Ann Davidson, a pioneering force in Ohio politics, has died

Davidson was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1927 and grew up in Findlay, Ohio. After marrying and moving to the Columbus area, she became the first woman to serve on the Reynoldsburg City Council in 1967. After working for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and serving as Franklin County GOP chairwoman, she was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1980 and became the state's first female minority leader in 1993 and its first female speaker in 1995, according to her Bowling Green biography website the state university.

As a speaker, Davidson helped pass a number of important bills, including measures to reduce the state income tax and reform the state's social and criminal justice systems.

Davidson, a moderate politician, supported abortion rights and opposed attempts to pass more conservative legislation on social issues, saying it could hurt Republicans' electoral chances, according to the Columbus Dispatch, which first reported Davidson's death.

After leaving the House in 2000 due to term limits, she founded the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, which has trained hundreds of Republican women for leadership positions in business and public life.

Even in her final years, Davidson kept a busy schedule, serving as chairwoman of the state's Casino Regulatory Commission and as chairman of the political action committee that supported then-Gov. John Kasich's 2016 presidential campaign. From 2005 until last March, she was one of two members of the Republican National Committee in Ohio.

“I firmly believe that for those of us who have been workaholics most of our lives, the worst thing in the world is to just quit,” she said in a 2015 interview with The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com.

Arrangements for the memorial are currently being made and will be announced soon, according to Mike Rupert, a spokesman for the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, which manages the Ohio Statehouse grounds.

Kasich said in a statement that Davidson's wisdom, compassion and leadership will be sorely missed.

“Ohio is better today because of her service – particularly the work she did to advance other women and help them pursue careers in public service,” he said.

House Minority Leader Allison Russo, a Democrat from suburban Columbus, called Davidson “a force of nature who shattered glass ceilings for countless women,” including Russo herself.

“She was an incredibly strong and capable leader who knew she could never back down from a fight when it mattered most to the people of Ohio,” Russo said. “She will always be a role model for so many women in public service on both sides of the aisle.”

State Sen. Michele Reynolds, a Columbus-area Republican and 2017 graduate of Davidson's leadership program, said in a statement that the former speaker was “a key force” in shaping her political ambitions.

“One piece of advice she shared profoundly influenced my approach: 'The side door is still an entrance,'” Reynolds explained. “Jo Ann is not just a historian; She is a changemaker who has inspired countless women. Standing in her light is a privilege I cherish, and her legacy continues to motivate me every day.”

Jeremy Pelzer covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.