Sutton, Betty, 1963-

<p>During her three terms in the United States House of Representatives, Betty Sutton focused on needs of her Ohio constituents and of America’s middle class. Sutton’s blue-collar upbringing guided her legislative agenda. “Here I am, just a generation later, this daughter, this proud daughter of a boilermaker in the House of Representatives with a chance to fight for families just like mine.”</p>

<p>The youngest of six children, Betty Sutton was born Elizabeth (Betty) Sue on July 31, 1963, to Leo and Mary Lou Sutton in Barberton, Ohio. After serving in the military during World War II, her father, Leo, worked as a boilermaker and her mother, Mary Lou, worked as a clerk-treasurer for the city library. In high school, Sutton decided to pursue a career in public service. She graduated from Barberton High School in 1981, received a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in 1985, and earned a law degree from the University of Akron in 1990. Her first marriage ended in divorce. Sutton later married Doug Corwon. She has two stepchildren.</p>

<p>Sutton rose through local office at a rapid pace. In 1989 she served on the Barberton city council, and two years later earned a seat on the Summit County, Ohio, council, where she served as president. In 1992 Sutton ran for and won a seat in the Ohio state house of representatives. At the time, she was the youngest woman to ever serve in the state legislature. In the state house, Sutton authored legislation that would have required police to make an arrest on all domestic violence calls. Sutton remained in the state house until term limits forced her to leave the legislature in 2000. She returned to her legal career and worked as a labor lawyer.</p>

<p>Betty Sue Sutton (born July 31, 1963) is an American politician who currently serves as a Judge of Ohio's 9th District Court of Appeals. She previously served as a U.S. Representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Sutton lost her 2012 re-election campaign after she was redistricted to the 16th District, losing to fellow incumbent Jim Renacci in the Republican-leaning district.</p>

<p>On July 24, 2013, the White House announced that Sutton would be appointed administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and is a government owned corporation that operates and maintains the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between the Port of Montreal and Lake Erie. On March 7, 2017 Sutton announced that she would pursue the Democratic nomination for Governor of Ohio. On January 10, 2018, Sutton dropped her bid for governor, announcing that she would instead run for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio as the running mate of Richard Cordray.</p>

<p>Sutton was born and raised the youngest of six children in Barberton, Ohio, just outside of Akron. Her father worked at a boiler factory and her mother worked at a public library. She attended public schools, going on to graduate from Kent State University with a degree in political science. Sutton went on to study for a Juris Doctor at the University of Akron School of Law, where she received a Dean's Club Scholarship and earned both the American Jurisprudence Award and Federal Bar Association Award for Outstanding Performance in Constitutional Law.</p>