Davidson was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1927 and grew up in Findlay, Ohio. After marrying and moving to the Columbus area, she became the first woman to serve on the Reynoldsburg City Council in 1967. After working for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and serving as Franklin County GOP chairwoman, she was elected to the Ohio House in 1980 and became the state’s first female minority leader in 1993 and the state’s first female speaker, according to her Bowling Green biography. website of the State University.

As speaker, Davidson helped pass a number of major bills, including measures to cut state income taxes and reform the state’s welfare and criminal justice systems.

Davidson, a political moderate, supported abortion rights and opposed efforts to pass more conservative legislation on social issues, arguing it could hurt Republicans’ electoral chances, according to the Columbus Dispatch, which favors first reported Davidson’s death.

After leaving the Legislature in 2000 for term limits, she founded the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, which has trained hundreds of Republican women for business and civic leadership positions.

Even in her final years, Davidson kept a busy schedule, chairing the state Casino Regulatory Commission and serving on the board of the political action committee that supported then-Gov. John Kasich’s 2016 presidential campaign. She served as one of Ohio’s two members of the Republican National Committee from 2005 until March of last year.

“I strongly believe that for those of us who have been workaholics most of our lives, just quitting is the worst thing you can do,” she said in a 2015 interview with The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com.

Memorial arrangements are being made and will be announced soon, said Mike Rupert, a spokesman for the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, which manages the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse.

Kasich said in a statement that Davidson’s wisdom, compassion and leadership will be greatly missed.

“Ohio is better today because of her service – especially the work she did to uplift other women and help them achieve careers in public service,” he stated.

House Minority Leader Allison Russo, a Democrat from suburban Columbus, called Davidson “a force of nature who shattered glass ceilings for countless women,” including Russo herself.

“She was an incredibly strong and capable leader who knew she would never back down from a fight when it mattered most to the people of Ohio,” Russo said. “She will always be a role model for so many women in the public sector on both sides of the aisle.”

State Sen. Michele Reynolds, a Columbus-area Republican and a 2017 graduate of Davidson’s leadership program, said in a statement that the former speaker was “a crucial force” in shaping her political ambitions.

“One piece of advice she shared has had a profound impact on my approach: ‘The side door is still an entrance,’” Reynolds said. ”Jo Ann is not just a history maker; she is a changemaker who has inspired countless women. Standing in her light is a privilege I cherish, and her legacy continues to motivate me every day.”

Jeremy Pelzer covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.