‘You can see his fingerprints on almost every part of our county’
— Todd Portune, who wouldn’t allow disability or cancer stop him from becoming the longest serving elected commissioner in Hamilton County history, has died.
Portune’s family announced the news Saturday night, with the release of a statement:
“It is with sadness that the family of Todd B. Portune share the news of his passing at his home in Green Town Saturday evening. Todd was surrounded by his entire family and passed with grace and peace. Todd was a tireless champion for all people, and has left the world a better place through his long legacy of care and love for Hamilton County. Todd is survived by his greatest love of all, his children Ethan, Ellyse and Emma. The family would like to thank everyone who has expressed their support, and well wishes. Arrangements for his services will be announced soon.”
The 61-year-old father of three spent 27 years in public service, where he was known for a tireless work ethic and devotion to the needs of average citizens.
He served four terms on Cincinnati City Council before breaking the Republican stronghold on the Hamilton County Commission in 2000 by becoming the first Democrat to be elected in nearly four decades.
Portune never let his long health battle, or the amputation of his leg, detour him from public service. He left his mark across the Cincinnati skyline from The Banks and Paul Brown Stadium, to the county administration building, which will be renamed in his honor.
“You can see his fingerprints on almost every part of our county. And that’s a testament to his 20 years of service,” said Chris Monzel, who served on city council and commission with Portune.
Portune announced his retirement in September, telling reporters that his cancer had returned and chemotherapy could not stop its spread. He officially resigned on Dec. 31 and his chief of staff, Victoria Parks, took over as commissioner.
“Public service is in my blood. It’s a mission, it’s a calling. It’s not a job,” Portune said in September. “It’s what I am, it’s what I’ve been about, and I love what I do.”
Portune graduated from Colerain High School, where he was a track star, in 1976. He then went to Oberlin College.
While at Oberlin Portune set seven school track records and was a standout football player. He was inducted into Oberlin’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
He graduated from the University of Cincinnati Law School and worked as an attorney until he was tapped to replace David Mann on Cincinnati City Council in 1993 after Mann had won a congressional seat.
Three years later, doctors discovered tumors on Portune’s spinal cord. Treatment of a blood clot in 2002 caused those tumors to hemorrhage, paralyzing his leg and leaving him a paraplegic.
“This is a man who was told 16 years ago that he would never walk again because he had tumors around his spine,” Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said. “He was in a wheelchair for a year and a half and he trained himself back to be able to walk.”
Cranley described Portune as a visionary, “for civil rights, equal rights, disability rights and to speak up for the taxpayer in ways that a lot of other people were afraid to do when he did it.”