Mary Jo Kilroy

Mary Jo Kilroy
Kilroy's official congressional photo portrait, 2009
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 15th district
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Deborah Pryce
Succeeded by	Steve Stivers
Member of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners
In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Dorothy Teater
Succeeded by	John O'Grady
Personal details
Born	(1949-04-30) April 30, 1949 (age 67) Euclid, Ohio
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Robert Handelman
Residence	Columbus, Ohio
Alma mater	Cleveland State University, The Ohio State University
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic

Mary Jo Kilroy (born April 30, 1949) is the former U.S. Representative for Ohio's 15th congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party from Ohio. In her first term she introduced a bill to lend $20 million per year to small businesses (HR5322) and an amendment to assign liability to credit reporting agencies. She also contributed to legislation on executive pay. She was defeated in her November 2, 2010 re-election bid. In 2012 she ran in the newly redrawn, Columbus-based 3rd congressional district but lost in the primary.

She is an attorney and a former two-term County Commissioner of Franklin County, Ohio, which includes the capital city of Columbus and some of its surrounding suburban and rural areas. Previously, she served two four-year terms on the Columbus School Board after working in private practice.

In both the 2008 and 2006 United States House of Representatives elections, Kilroy was involved in close elections for Ohio's 15th congressional district. She lost in 2006 after an election that required the counting of absentee ballots and election recounts. However, after the incumbent retired, she won a similarly close election in 2008. In both cases, she was behind after the Election Day vote tabulations, but made up significant ground with belated absentee ballot voting results. The 2010 election race was widely followed in the mainstream press as a race that the Republicans were targeting.