Kevin Boyce

Kevin Lewis Boyce (born October 5, 1971) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party who currently serves as President of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. Formerly, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 25th District from 2012 to 2016, a member of Columbus City Council, and was the Ohio State Treasurer from 2009 to 2010.

In the March 2016 Democratic primary election, Boyce was selected as the Democratic nominee to run for incumbent Paula Brooks' seat on the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Commissioners in the 2016 general election. Boyce ran for, and was elected to a second term in 2020 and a third term in 2024.

Education Boyce graduated from Columbus East High School in 1990. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Toledo in 1995 and a Master of Public Administration degree from Central Michigan University in 2004. He was also the executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus from 1997 to 1999.

On September 11, 2000, Boyce was appointed to Columbus City Council. He was elected to one of three open Council seats in the November 6, 2001 election and won another four-year Council term on November 8, 2005.

On December 23, 2008, Democratic Governor Ted Strickland announced Boyce's appointment as Ohio State Treasurer, to replace Richard Cordray, who left office in November 2008 to become Ohio Attorney General. During the 2010 campaign, Boyce’s Republican opponent, state Rep. Josh Mandel, criticized the spending as inappropriate in light of the state’s budget constraints. Contemporary coverage also noted that other statewide offices purchased similar materials or defended them as informational in nature.

In July 2009, Boyce’s office awarded a $160,000-per-year contract to KeyBank to process approximately 485,000 state checks per month, replacing a system that had been handled in-house for about a century. The Treasurer’s office projected about $83,000 in annual savings and said the contract was competitively bid, with bids due July 15 and KeyBank selected on July 20.

After losing re-election in 2010, Boyce recommended his top aide, Amer Ahmad, to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for Comptroller of Chicago, even though Boyce had received federal subpoenas asking about Ahmad's involvement in contracts given to a Boston bank. Ahmad was indicted in August 2013, charged with eight counts of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy for his actions as Ohio deputy treasurer under Boyce. Ahmad is a fugitive from justice in Pakistan. He was sentenced to 15 years in US prison, but is unlikely to be extradited.

The National Council of Negro Women presented Boyce its Community Service Plaque in May 2004. He was honored by the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and Leadership At Its Best LLC as an outstanding role model for young men in November 2004.

Committee assignments Committee on Community & Family Advancement Subcommittee on Minority Affairs (Chair) Committee on Finance & Appropriations Committee on Rules & Reference

Franklin County Board of Commissioners In the March 15, 2016 Democratic primary election, Boyce defeated incumbent Paula Brooks in her bid for re-election to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, receiving 58% of the vote to Brooks' 42%. In an unusual move, the Franklin County Democratic Party endorsed Boyce rather than the incumbent Brooks, in part as a consequence of Brooks' support for county sheriff Zach Scott in his failed effort to oppose Andy Ginther, who received the party's endorsement for mayor of Columbus in the preceding general election. Scott was also defeated in the March 2016 primary election in his effort to continue as county sheriff. Boyce then defeated his Republican opponent Terry Boyd in the November, 2016 general election.

On November 3, 2020, Boyce defeated his Republican challenger Andrew Littler to earn a 2nd term on the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Commissioners. In the 2024 general election, Boyce ran unopposed for this 3rd term as a commissioner and was reelected.

Personal life In 1997, Boyce married Crystal Hall and had two children. They later separated. On September 10, 2022, Boyce married U.S. representative Emilia Sykes at the Akron Art Museum.

Electoral history