Support Women!
Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio, 15th District)
Bringing Ohio Values to Washington
October 10, 2006
NOW PAC has endorsed Mary Jo Kilroy, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 15th District of Ohio.
Born in 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, Kilroy was the daughter of a pipefitter, whom she credits for teaching her the importance of personal effort and education. After graduating high school, she completed her undergraduate degree at Cleveland State University, followed by a law degree from Ohio State University.
With law degree in hand, Kilroy joined a private practice in Columbus as a public interest lawyer with her husband, Bob, practicing law while often bringing her young daughters into the office. The Kilroys raised two daughters, Julia and Rosa, who attend Columbia University and Brown University.
Kilroy has always been active in her community. In 1992, she joined the Columbus School Board and from there moved to Franklin County Commissioner, a position she has held for six years. Because of her strong commitment to women's rights, Columbus, Ohio NOW PAC and Ohio NOW PAC have enthusiastically supported her in every race she has won.
During her tenure as commissioner, Franklin County placed in the top one percent of counties in the nation. In fact, while Kilroy served as Franklin County Commissioner, Governing Magazine ranked Franklin County as one of the five best-managed counties in the United States. Kilroy is also adept at balancing budgets, an advantageous skill for anyone aspiring to Congress.
Kilroy will challenge the Bush administration, unlike her opponent, Republican Deborah Pryce, who has voted with the Bush administration 88 percent of her time in office (including a vote to weaken the House Ethics Rules, one to exempt oil and gas businesses from certain clean-water laws, and another to make the PATRIOT Act permanent).
In support of health care reform, Kilroy will work to make quality and affordable health services available to all people in the U.S. Kilroy supports scientific research, including stem cell research. She realizes that such medical advances will help those suffering from Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury and juvenile diabetes, among other afflictions.
Kilroy also backs federally raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in order to provide working families with more opportunities.
Copyright 1995-2008, All rights reserved. Permission granted for non-commercial use. National Organization for Women Political Action Committees