Ed Rendell

Ed Rendell
45th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office January 21, 2003 – January 18, 2011
Lieutenant	Catherine Baker Knoll Joe Scarnati
Preceded by	Mark Schweiker
Succeeded by	Tom Corbett
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 14, 2008 – July 20, 2009
Preceded by	Tim Pawlenty
Succeeded by	Jim Douglas
General Chair of the Democratic National Committee
In office September 25, 1999 – February 3, 2001 Served with Joe Andrew (National Chair)
Preceded by	Roy Romer
Succeeded by	Terry McAuliffe (Chair)
96th Mayor of Philadelphia
In office January 6, 1992 – January 3, 2000
Preceded by	Wilson Goode
Succeeded by	John Street
21st District Attorney of Philadelphia
In office January 2, 1978 – January 6, 1986
Preceded by	Emmett Fitzpatrick
Succeeded by	Ronald Castille
Personal details
Born	Edward Gene Rendell (1944-01-05) January 5, 1944 (age 80) New York City, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Marjorie Osterlund ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 2016)​
Children	1
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BA) Villanova University (JD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1968–1974
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Unit	United States Army Reserve

Edward Gene Rendell (/rɛnˈdɛl/; born January 5, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, politician, and author who served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. He served as chair of the national Democratic Party from 1999 to 2001, as the 96th mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000, and as district attorney of Philadelphia from 1978 to 1986.

Born in New York City to a Jewish family from Russia, Rendell moved to Philadelphia for college, completing his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and J.D. from Villanova University School of Law. He was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia for two terms from 1978 to 1986. He developed a reputation for being tough on crime,^[1] fueling a run for governor of Pennsylvania in 1986, which Rendell lost in the primary.

Elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1991, he inherited a $250 million deficit and the lowest credit rating of any major city in the country. As mayor, he balanced Philadelphia's budget and generated a budget surplus while cutting business and wage taxes and dramatically improving services to Philadelphia neighborhoods. The New York Times stated that Philadelphia under Rendell "has made one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent urban history."^[2] Nicknamed "America's Mayor" by Al Gore,^[3] Rendell served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 presidential election.

In 2002, Rendell was elected governor of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Democratic Governors Association Executive Committee and served as the Chairman of the National Governors Association. He was reelected in a landslide in 2006. He left office in 2011 due to term limits, and released a book, A Nation of Wusses: How America's Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great, the following year. A Philadelphia Eagles fan, Rendell is also a football analyst on NBC Sports Philadelphia's Eagles Postgame Live, hosted by Michael Barkann.