Armond Budish
Armond D. Budish ( ; b. Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 1953) is an American politician, lawyer, and television host who served as Cuyahoga County Executive for two terms from 2015 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a four-term Ohio State Representative from the 8th district, and served as Speaker of the House from 2009 to 2011. He was the first Jewish representative to hold that office. He was re-elected to the House in 2010 and 2012, and thereafter was term-limited. Before his entry into politics in 2006, he was an attorney specializing in consumer and elder law with Budish, Solomon, Steiner & Peck, and hosted a weekly Sunday morning senior issues TV program titled Golden Opportunities on Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC channel 3. He resides in Beachwood, Ohio. Early life Budish was born in Cleveland in 1953. His father was an electrical engineer, and his mother was a homemaker who later became a teacher. He grew up in South Euclid before moving to Beachwood when he was in seventh grade. He was elected president of the Beachwood High School senior class of 1971, but moved to Bethesda, Maryland, halfway through the school year after his father got a new job. Career Budish received his bachelor's degree (cum laude) in 1974 from Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, where he was a political science major. He then went on to complete a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. In 1993, he founded the law firm Budish, Solomon, Steiner, & Peck, of which he continues to be a partner. During that time Budish became nationally recognized for his work in the field of consumer law, estate planning, and elder law. He was elected to Cuyahoga County Executive for the first time in November 2014, and was reelected to the post in 2018. Ohio House of Representatives In 2006, after both of his sons left for college, he made the decision to run for public office, and was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives from the 8th District, which includes parts of Cleveland, Ohio, and some of the city's eastern neighbors. He was re-elected in 2008 and was chosen Speaker of the House by his peers in January 2009, becoming the first Jewish Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. His main focus in the 128th General Assembly was job creation in the difficult economic conditions of 2009. To that end, he created several new committees, including Economic Development and Housing & Urban Revitalization. Budish faced mounting criticism from opponents in February 2010 for not allowing the National Right to Life Oratory Contest winner to receive an honorary resolution on the House floor. However, he soon reversed his decision and allowed for the award to be given. He also was criticized for colluding with progressive political action committees in the 2010 election cycle. Charges on the matter were later dropped. With the Republicans regaining control of the State House in 2010, Armond Budish lost a