About Paul

Paul Hackett is a true son of Ohio. Born in Cleveland, raised in Cincinnati he is the grandson of a union man and son of a traveling salesman & school teacher. Paul’s parents taught him, from an early-age, the values of hard work, service to the community, and personal responsibility.

As an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Paul volunteered for the Marine Corps reserves. His father had served in the armed forces and taught Paul that, if able, military service was his patriotic duty.

After graduation Paul attended Cleveland State University’s Marshall College of Law and upon receiving his degree went on to fulfill his commitment to the Marine Corps serving on active duty in destinations such as Quantico, Virginia; Okinawa, Japan; and the Philippines to name just a few. It was during this time that Paul married his college sweetheart, Suzi.

Paul was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1999. His absence from the Corps would be short-lived however. In the summer of 2004, with the war in Iraq spinning out of control, Paul again answered the call to serve.

Following a serious discussion with his wife, Suzi, Paul volunteered to serve in Iraq as a Major with the 4th Civil Affairs Group, 1st Marine Division. Despite his strong opposition to the war from the very beginning, Paul’s sense of responsibility and commitment to his brothers and sisters in the Corps outweighed his personal political views. Paul was assigned to Ramadi and took part in the Fallujah campaign and subsequent reconstruction efforts. Leaving his politics at America’s shores, Paul fought alongside his fellow Marines seeking to restore order to a country in constant chaos.

Having completed his tour of duty in Iraq, Paul returned to Ohio in early 2005. Shortly after his homecoming, Paul declared his candidacy for Congress in the overwhelmingly Republican Second District of southwestern Ohio, a seat vacated just days before Paul’s return from Iraq.

Written off as a long shot by the media, Paul’s campaign was fueled by the power of the internet and grassroots activists who were impressed with his outspoken defense of the Democratic Party’s core principles. On Election Day, Paul stunned the political universe, winning more than 48 percent of the vote in a District where George Bush received nearly two-thirds of the vote just ten months earlier. No Second District Democrat had done so well in more than 30 years.

Paul’s direct, independent voice won him national attention. USA Today called him a “dream candidate for Democrats” and Newt Gingrich warned his fellow Republicans that Hackett’s performance should serve as a “wake-up call.” Perhaps Mother Jones Magazine said it best when they called him “the rarest of political animals – a fighting Democrat.”

In the days and weeks following the Congressional election, Democratic leaders in Washington along with countless Ohioans and Americans throughout the country, encouraged Paul to enter the upcoming race for United States Senate in Ohio. Answering their call, Paul announced his candidacy, surrounded by his family and friends, on October 24th at his home in Cincinnati.

Paul is running for the U.S. Senate because Ohio needs real change, right now. He wants to take our government back from the career politicians and special interests in Washington who have lost touch with the hard-working people of Ohio. If elected, Paul would be the only veteran of the Iraq War in the Senate, bringing with him a voice that’s as unique as it is unwavering. He will carry a positive vision of change to Washington where he’ll fight to bring quality, affordable health care to every American, keep our jobs from being sent overseas, restore fiscal responsibility and bring the war in Iraq to a swift and secure resolution.

For almost 12 years, Paul has run his own private law practice, Hackett Law Offices. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife of 15 years, Suzi, their three young children, Grace (8), Seamus (5) & Liam (2) and their German Shepherd, Nyla.