Cecil L. Thomas (born October 21, 1952) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who served as a member of the Ohio Senate from the 9th district.
Early life and education
Thomas was born in rural northern Alabama and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio at a young age. He graduated from Withrow High School.[1] In 1974, Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement technology from the University of Cincinnati. He later earned another Bachelor of Science degree, in criminal justice management, from the Union Institute & University.[2]
Career
After high school, he joined the Cincinnati police cadet program, and served the city of Cincinnati as a police officer for the next 27 years.[3] In 2005, following his retirement from the police force, Thomas ran and won election to Cincinnati City Council, where he served for the next eight years.[4]
In 2014, Thomas declared his candidacy for the Ohio Senate. Incumbent Eric Kearney was term-limited and could not run for another term.[5] He was one of numerous Democrats to vie for the nomination, including Dale Mallory, who many saw as a frontrunner.[6] He won the primary, and go on to face Charlie Winburn, another viable opponent, however this time Republican. However, Thomas defeated Winburn 56%-44%. Cecil was a candidate for the 2021 Cincinnati mayoral election, placing third in a field of six candidates.[7]
References
- ^ "Senator Cecil Thomas - Bio | The Ohio Senate". ohiosenate.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
- ^ Coolidge, Sharon. "Janitor, cop, councilman - and state senator?". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
- ^ "About Cecil Thomas". Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ "Cranley: No really, I'm backing Cecil Thomas for state Senate seat". Cincinnati Business Courier. Cincinnati. 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ "Cecil Thomas defeats Charlie Winburn, keeps Ohio 9th Senate seat for Democrats". WCPO. Cincinnati. 2014-11-04. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ "Cecil Thomas claims Ohio State Senate seat over Charlie Winburn". WLWT. Cincinnati. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
- ^ "Ohio election results: Cincinnati mayor primary, Issue 3 and more". www.cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2021-05-31.