Robert Alphonso Taft III is an American politician and attorney who served as the 67th governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Taft political dynasty and Republican Party, Taft previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives, then as Hamilton County commissioner, and as Ohio Secretary of State under governor George Voinovich.

The secretary of state of Ohio is an elected statewide official in the State of Ohio. The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing elections in the state; registering business entities and granting them the authority to do business within the state; registering secured transactions; and granting access to public documents.