Robert Emmet Hagan (March 22, 1921, Youngstown

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 – January 17, 1999) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician of the Democratic Party.

Hagan was an ironworker in Youngstown and served as a county commissioner in Trumbull County, Ohio

Trumbull County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 225,116 people, 89,020 households, and 61,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 365 people per square mile . There were 95,117 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...

, before being elected to the Ohio General Assembly

Ohio General Assembly

The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...

 in the district of his adopted hometown of Madison, Ohio. During his three terms in the legislature, 1983–1989, he was known as the assembly's most liberal

Liberalism

Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...

 member. During that period, Hagan's son, Robert F. Hagan

Bob Hagan

Robert F. Hagan is an American politician affiliated with the Democratic party who has held a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives for the Sixtieth District since 2007...

, also held a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives

Ohio House of Representatives

The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....

, as he does today.

In 1970, Hagan ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed by impeachment. Before 1852, the president of the Ohio State Senate would serve as acting governor if a vacancy in the governorship...

. In 1972, Hagan was on the traveling staff of Democratic nominee for Vice President Sargent Shriver

Sargent Shriver

Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., known as Sargent Shriver, R. Sargent Shriver, or, from childhood, Sarge, was an American statesman and activist. As the husband of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he was part of the Kennedy family, serving in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations...

 as his joke writer.

Throughout his career Hagan was known for a forceful speaking style that often included a fair share of humor. After leaving elected office, Hagan began performing stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...

, having fun with politics and the unusually large size of his family (he and his wife, Ada DiLoreto Hagan, had 14 children), among other topics. He continued to perform into his mid 70s. He also wrote a number of op-ed

Op-ed

An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...

s for The Plain Dealer.

Hagan's son Timothy Hagan

Tim Hagan

Timothy Hagan , a Democrat, is an American politician in Ohio.-Early life:Hagan was born and grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, as one of fourteen siblings . Hagan's father, Bob, was a Trumbull County Commissioner and, later, a State Representative. After graduating from Ursuline High School...

 was a county commissioner in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Cuyahoga County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. It is the most populous county in Ohio; as of the 2010 census, the population was 1,280,122. Its county seat is Cleveland. Cuyahoga County is part of Greater Cleveland, a metropolitan area, and Northeast Ohio, a...

, for 16 years and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Ohio in 2002 and was once-again elected Cuyahoga County Commissioner in 2004.

His other son, Robert F. Hagan

Bob Hagan

Robert F. Hagan is an American politician affiliated with the Democratic party who has held a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives for the Sixtieth District since 2007...

, is currently serving in the Ohio House of Representatives, having previously served in the Ohio Senate

Ohio Senate

The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...

.

See also

• Election Results, Ohio Lieutenant Governor (Democratic Primaries)