chris redfern born 1964 south bend indiana is a american politician former state representative in ohio and former chair of the ohio democratic party he won election to the chairmanship of the ohio democratic party in december 2005 and was reelected in 2008 and again in 2012 before resigning in december 2014 he was previously a democratic state representative for ohio house district 80 and had been a member of the ohio house since 1999 during the 2012 general election he was again elected to serve as state representative for the newly drawn 89th districtchairman redfern is the only ohio democratic party chairman on record to win a gubernatorial us senate and presidential election in 2008 redfern accomplished another first as the columbus dispatch noted democrats made history marking the first time a party that did not draw the district lines was ever able to take control of the house chamber following president barack obamas successful 2012 reelection refern became the only state party chairman in ohios history to help a democratic presidential candidate carry the buckeye state twice with more than 50 of the vote since taking office in late 2005 chairman redfern has helped raise more than 100000000 for ohio democratsbefore becoming party chairman he was the minority leader in the ohio house of representatives during mr redferns term as minority leader he was the first democratic leader to oversee multiple gains in the ohio house of representatives during the 2004 election since former speaker of the ohio house vern riffe1 mr redfern was also an ottawa county commissioner from 1993 to 1999 the youngest in the state when his term began in 1993the strategy bore fruit immediately in 2006 with the election of governor ted strickland and senator sherrod brown whose victories proved that democrats could compete in any region of the state chris redfern led the ohio democratic party into key municipal elections capturing the canton mayors office for the first time in sixteen years and helping to elect the first african american mayor in the history of mansfield ohioin 2008 chairman redfern set the partys sights on the general election and began constructing the largest field operation ever envisioned by a state political party together the campaign for change and the ohio democratic party registered 105862 new ohio voters and engaged in 3552486 conversations with ohioans at their doors or on the phone fueling these recordbreaking figures were the efforts of more than 60000 committed volunteers from neighborhoods across ohio on election day ohio democrats delivered a decisive victory for barack obama and picked up three new congressional seats democrats also captured the ohio house on a legislative map drawn by state republicans a feat never before seen in ohio historyfollowing a disappointing national republican wave in 2010 chairman redfern led ohio democrats back to victory in 2012 by championing one of the largest campaign investments in ohios history between the ohio democratic party and the presidents ohio campaign democrats made an unprecedented 16261643 attempts to talk to ohio voters from more than 170 field offices staffed by more than 750 paid employees and tens of thousands of volunteers across the state on election night chairman redferns gamble paid off as barack obama became the first democratic presidential candidate since 1940 to carry more than fifty percent of ohio voters support twiceohio democrats early investment was also successful for senator sherrod brown who was able to overcome an unprecedented 40 million spent against him in attack ads in part because of the infrastructure his campaign and the ohio democratic party put in place despite a redistricting period controlled by the opposing party where three democratic state house incumbent seats were eliminated ohio democrats also won races that were supposed to be out of reach and overcame a 31 financial disadvantage to reelect lou gentile to the state senate and for the first time in 12 years democrats won a seat on the ohio supreme courtchairman redfern attended bowling green state university where he earned both a bachelors degree and then his masters degree in state and local government he received the bgsu accomplished graduate award in 2004 redfern is married to his wife kim and they live with their daughter on catawba island in 2014 redfern and his wife opened rocky point winery in marblehead a boutique winery and inn specializing in lake erie region wines