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Former Senate Minority Leader Ben Espy is remembered as a barrier-breaker in Ohio politics
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Former local and state Democratic leader Ben Espy will be laid to rest Monday, a week before an event he was known for creating in Columbus.
Espy was an athlete at Sandusky High School before going to Ohio State University, playing football for the legendary coach Woody Hayes. He went on to law school at Howard University.
After serving for more than a decade in local politics, including as the first Black President pro-tempore of the Columbus City Council, Espy served in the Ohio Senate. He was assistant minority leader from 1994 to 1996 and minority leader from 1996 to 2000.
Espy’s low voice had a recognizable, deep quality in the hallways of the Statehouse. But his daughter, Dr. Laura Espy-Bell, says it was his listening skills that resonated with voters.
“He was like the, the, the community’s person, you know, he talked to everyone, he knew everyone, you know, whether you were, you know, the CEO of a major company or a huge big time politician or, you know, someone that worked in the office or worked or the principal at my school or my teacher, you know, he knew everybody. He had a way of when he talked to people, those people felt truly seen and heard,” Espy-Bell said.
After leaving the legislature, Espy worked as a senior legal aide to then-Attorney General Marc Dann. And when Dann became the focal point of a sexual harassment complaint, it was Espy who led the investigation into it. Dann resigned in May of 2008.
At one point, Espy wanted to be the mayor of Columbus. He unsuccessfully challenged his former legislative aide and city council successor, Michael B. Coleman, in a Democratic primary in 1999. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2006.
Espy’s accomplishments include establishing the annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., now one of the largest such commemorations in the country. Espy-Bell said he was the founder of the Columbus Youth Corps, which teaches ethics and professionalism to young people. She said children who went through that program laud it for its effectiveness.
Espy has received many honors during his lifetime including:
- Ohio Democratic Party Meryl Shoemaker Award
- Ohio Hunger Task Force Legislator of the Year
- Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association Legislator of the Year
- Neighborhood House Volunteer Service Award
- Outstanding Community Leader Award (presented by McDonald’s Restaurant)
- The Ohio State University’s Distinguished Service Award for 2001
“He showed the possibility of what it was to be a person of color to stand out front, to not be afraid to use your voice to stand up for what’s good, to advocate for others, advocate for people who can’t advocate for themselves, and he did it during a time when it was unpopular,” Espy-Bell said. “People could follow after his footsteps and see what’s possible for them to achieve it as well. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” she said.
In 1984, Espy was severely injured when a concrete cornice from the Nitschke Building – now the Fifth Third Building – across the street from the Statehouse fell on him. He lost his right leg below the knee.
Espy is survived by four daughters, including Espy-Bell, as well as his wife, Kathy. His funeral will be held Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, from 9-11 a.m. at First Church of God, 3480 Refugee Road, Columbus.