Kevin Boyce

Boyce graduated from Columbus East High School in 1990.{{cite news|url=http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/article/20081223/UPDATES01/81223011|title=Strickland announces appointment of Boyce as Treasurer of State|date=December 23, 2008|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Port Clinton News Herald|page=1|access-date=December 23, 2008}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Toledo in 1995 and a Master of Public Administration degree from Central Michigan University in 2004.

Prior to holding political office, Boyce was the executive director of the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes college access for high school students.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/22/daily35.html|title=Columbus councilman named state treasurer|last=Bell|first=Jeff|date=December 13, 2008|publisher=Business Courier of Cincinnati|page=1|access-date=December 23, 2008}} He was also the executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus from 1997 to 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.aamec.us/Councilman%20Boyce%20Bio.html |title=Kevin L. Boyce |publisher=Columbus City Council |access-date=December 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415222543/http://www.aamec.us/Councilman%20Boyce%20Bio.html |archive-date=April 15, 2008 |url-status=dead}} He managed Charleta B. Tavares' unsuccessful campaign for Ohio Secretary of State in 1998, and was Chief of Staff for the Minority Caucus of the Ohio House of Representatives from January 1999 to September 2000.{{cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/23/boyce.html?sid=101|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130208041557/http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/23/boyce.html?sid=101|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 8, 2013|title=Boyce to be next state treasurer|last=Hallett|first=Joe|date=December 23, 2008|publisher=The Columbus Dispatch|page=1|access-date=December 24, 2008}}

On September 11, 2000, Boyce was appointed to Columbus City Council. He was elected to one of three open Council seats in the November 6, 2001 election and won another four-year Council term on November 8, 2005. On the council, Boyce ultimately served as President pro Tempore and as Chairman of the Finance and Zoning Committees.{{cite news|url=http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines347.html|title=Africa awaits Boyce|last=Thornton|first=Pamela Glason|publisher=Columbus Post|page=1|access-date=December 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624023920/http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines347.html|archive-date=June 24, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|url=http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=1328067&c=y |title=Source: Boyce to be next Ohio Treasurer |last=Majors |first=Stephen |author2=Julie Carr Smyth |date=December 23, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Akron Beacon Journal |page=1 |access-date=December 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615134724/http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=1328067&c=y |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

On December 23, 2008, Democratic Governor Ted Strickland announced Boyce's appointment as Ohio State Treasurer, to replace Richard Cordray, who left office in November 2008 to become Ohio Attorney General.{{cite news|last=Provance|first=Jim|date=December 23, 2008|title=University of Toledo graduate selected as Ohio treasurer|page=1|publisher=Toledo Blade|url=http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081223/NEWS24/812230261&Show=0|access-date=December 23, 2008}} On January 8, 2009, Boyce was sworn into office, becoming the first African-American Democrat to hold a statewide, non-judicial office in Ohio. In July 2009, the Dayton Daily News published an article alleging that Boyce had spent $32,469 on promotional items with his name on them. Despite Boyce's arguments that such practices were common for political officeholders and that he had spent 30% less than did his predecessor on such items, Boyce's Republican opponent in the 2010 campaign, state Rep. Josh Mandel, charged that the expenditures were inappropriate given the state's budget difficulties.{{cite news|last=Bischoff|first=Laura|title=Critics: Ohio Treasurer shouldn't be spending on self-promotion|url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/politics/critics-ohio-treasurer-shouldnt-be-spending-on-self-promotion-161898.html?showComments=true|access-date=June 6, 2010|newspaper=Dayton Daily News|date=June 13, 2009}} Boyce also was criticized for hiring Democratic party operatives for several positions within his office.

Boyce was further questioned for awarding a $160,000 per year contract to Key Bank for processing the state's checks. While Ohio had previously processed its own checks for 100 years, Boyce expected that the new contract would save approximately $83,000 per year through increased interest earnings. The contract was awarded in a competitive bid process, but critics questioned it because two Key Bank lobbyists held a $500 per ticket fundraiser for Boyce one week after the contract was awarded.{{cite news|last=Bischoff|first=Laura|title=Ohio treasurer gives bank contract, gets political fundraiser|url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/ohio-treasurer-gives-bank-contract-gets-political-fund-raiser-225029.html|access-date=June 6, 2010|newspaper=Dayton Daily News|date=July 28, 2009}}

Boyce ran for the Treasurer's position for the first time during the 2010 midterm elections against Republican challenger Josh Mandel, but lost the election with 40.2% of the vote.{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Michael|title=Republican challenger Josh Mandel crushes incumbent Kevin Boyce in Ohio treasurer's race|url=http://www.cleveland.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/ohio_treasurer_incumbent_boyce.html|access-date=November 4, 2010|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|date=November 3, 2010}}

After losing re-election in 2010, Boyce recommended his top aide, Amer Ahmad, to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for Comptroller of Chicago, even though Boyce had received federal subpoenas asking about Ahmad's involvement in contracts given to a Boston bank.{{cite journal|journal=Chicago Tribune |first=John |last=Byrne |title=Mayor says he wouldn't have hired Ahmad if he knew of probe : Emanuel blames Ohio officials for lack of information |date=August 27, 2013 |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-rahm-emanuel-comptroller-indicted-0828-20130828,0,563144.story }} Ahmad was indicted in August 2013, charged with eight counts of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy for his actions as Ohio deputy treasurer under Boyce.{{cite journal|journal=Crain's Chicago Business |title=Emanuel's ex-Comptroller Amer Ahmad indicted in Ohio |date=August 15, 2013 |url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130815/BLOGS02/130819859/emanuels-ex-comptroller-amer-ahmad-indicted-in-ohio}} Ahmad is a fugitive from justice in Pakistan. He was sentenced to 15 years in US prison, but is unlikely to be extradited.{{cite web|publisher=Columbus Dispatch |date=December 2, 2014|title=Former state official Ahmad, now in Pakistan, faces 15 years in prison here|first=Kathy Lynn|last=Gray|access-date=March 3, 2015|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/01/former-state-official-sentenced-in-absentia.html}}

The National Council of Negro Women presented Boyce its Community Service Plaque in May 2004. He was honored by the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and Leadership At Its Best LLC as an outstanding role model for young men in November 2004.

When W. Carlton Weddington was indicted in a bribery scandal in early 2012, he resigned his seat, forcing House Democrats to appoint his successor. It was soon after announced that Boyce would be the appointee, chosen over a number of applicants. Boyce was sworn into office on May 6, 2012. In 2012, Boyce won his first full term in the House with 85.84% of the vote over Republican Seth Golding.

In 2014, Boyce won a second term with 81% of the vote, and was elected soon after to serve as Minority Whip as well. He was also the only Democrat to hold a Chairmanship in the 131st Ohio General Assembly, as the Chair of the Committee on Community and Family Advancement's Subcommittee on Minority Affairs.{{cite news |url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/03/01/income-shift.html |title=Debate over Ohio's shift from income tax to sales tax continues |work=Columbus Dispatch |date=March 1, 2015 |access-date=March 2, 2015 }}

• Committee on Community & Family Advancement
• Subcommittee on Minority Affairs (Chair)
• Committee on Finance & Appropriations
• Committee on Rules & Reference{{clear}}

In the March 15, 2016 Democratic primary election, Boyce defeated incumbent Paula Brooks in her bid for re-election to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, receiving 58% of the vote to Brooks' 42%.{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/public/2016/primary-election/franklin-county-officeholders.html|title=Sheriff Zach Scott among Democrats swept from Franklin County offices|author=Rick Rouan|date=March 16, 2016|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=March 17, 2016}} In an unusual move, the Franklin County Democratic Party endorsed Boyce rather than the incumbent Brooks, in part as a consequence of Brooks' support for county sheriff Zach Scott in his failed effort to oppose Andy Ginther, who received the party's endorsement for mayor of Columbus in the preceding general election. Scott was also defeated in the March 2016 primary election in his effort to continue as county sheriff.{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/17/democratic-party-rulers-had-their-way.html|title=Democratic Party hierarchy flexes its muscle in Franklin County primary|author=Rick Rouan|date=March 17, 2016|work=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=March 17, 2016}} Boyce then defeated his Republican opponent Terry Boyd in the November, 2016 general election.

On November 3, 2020, Boyce defeated his Republican challenger Andrew Littler to earn a 2nd term on the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Commissioners. In the 2024 general election, Boyce ran unopposed for this 3rd term as a commissioner and was reelected.

{{small|* Top three are elected to Columbus City Council}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.kevinboyce.com/ Kevin Boyce for Ohio]
• [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020914151931/http://www.kwfdn.org/ KnowledgeWorks Foundation]

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Category:1971 births

Category:African-American state legislators in Ohio

Category:Central Michigan University alumni

Category:Columbus City Council members

Category:Living people

Category:Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives

Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly

Category:State treasurers of Ohio

Category:University of Toledo alumni

Category:21st-century African-American politicians

Category:20th-century African-American politicians