State Representative Cecil Thomas was elected in November 2022 to serve Ohio’s 25th House District, which includes parts of Cincinnati such as Roselawn, Bond Hill, College Hill, North Avondale, Avondale, Northside, Hartwell, Carthage, University Heights, Mount Airy, Paddock Hills, and Corryville. Municipalities within the district include Elmwood Place and St. Bernard.
A product of a working-class family, Representative Thomas was born in rural Alabama in 1952. At the age of eight, his family moved to Cincinnati and settled in the West End community, where he attended St. Anthony Catholic School. After graduating from Withrow High School, he took a job as a public service worker. Determined to pursue higher education, he joined the Cincinnati Police Cadet Program, which provided free college tuition.
Upon graduating from the University of Cincinnati, Representative Thomas joined the Cincinnati Police Department, where he spent 27 years serving throughout all 52 neighborhoods of the city. In 1976, while on the force, he recognized a lack of minority representation—particularly in policy-making roles. He took action to ensure African Americans and women were given equal opportunities to serve and protect their community. As a result of his efforts, the Cincinnati Police Department increased the percentage of African Americans and women on the force to 40 percent under two federal consent decrees.
Representative Thomas retired from the police force in 2000 and assumed the role of Executive Director of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission (CHRC). During the civil unrest of 2001, he emerged as a key leader, using his experience as both a police officer and community advocate to help quell violence. Under his leadership, the CHRC reached new heights, assisting city leaders in restoring community trust and developing cohesive police–community relations programs. During his tenure, the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission was recognized nationally as one of the premier human relations organizations in the country.
In 2005, Representative Thomas was elected to serve on the Cincinnati City Council, where he served for eight years and chaired the Law and Public Safety Committee.
In 2014, he ran for the Ohio Senate and was elected to represent the Ninth District, serving for eight years.
After his tenure in the Senate, Representative Thomas was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2022, where he currently serves.
Representative Thomas is a lifetime member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Sentinel Police Association, a member of Masonic Gothic Lodge No. 121, and serves as President of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the National Action Network.
Representative Cecil Thomas is the father of four adult children, grandfather of four grandchildren, and great grandfather to one great grandchild. He and his family have resided in the North Avondale community for more than forty years.
A servant leader at heart, Representative Thomas’s more than 50 years of public service reflect his enduring commitment to the citizens of the State of Ohio.
