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Capitol Lens | Jerry Springer

Longtime TV personality also dabbled in politics

Jerry Springer at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Mass.
Jerry Springer at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Mass. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call file photo)

TV personality Jerry Springer died Thursday at the age of 79. Most known for hosting his long-running, tabloid-heavy eponymous talk show, Springer also served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, prior to his TV gig.

And long before the rise of Donald Trump from the realm of reality TV, Springer entered the political fray when he considered running in the Ohio Senate race in 2003. Later, during the Trump presidency, there was talk of him running for governor of the Buckeye State.

Here are some of CQ Roll Call’s archival photos of Springer and his flirtations with the political sphere in the early 2000s.

While considering a run for the open Ohio Senate seat in 2003, Springer receives a doll of himself at the Ross County Democratic Party Spring Dinner in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 2003. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Springer is interviewed by Roll Call reporter Lauren Whittington in the Port Columbus International Airport, in Columbus, Ohio, in June 2003. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
An attendee at the Chillicothe Paints minor league baseball game reacts to meeting Springer in Chillicothe, Ohio, in June, 2003. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Springer signs autographs at the Columbiana County Democratic Dinner in Salem, Ohio, in July 2003. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Springer walks to his seat after getting food at the Ross County Democratic Party Spring Dinner in Chillicothe, Ohio, in June 2003. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Springer makes a bid during an auction at the Ross County Democratic Party Spring Dinner in Chillicothe, Ohio, in June 2003. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

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