{{Short description|American politician (born 1948)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Rhine McLin | image = Rhine McLin 2008.jpg | image_size = 200px | caption = McLin in 2008 | order = 54th Mayor of Dayton | office = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1948}} | birth_place = | term_start = January 4, 2002 | term_end = January 4, 2010 | predecessor = Mike Turner | successor = Gary Leitzell | state_senate2 = Ohio | state2 = Ohio | district2 = 5th | term_start2 = January 3, 1995 | term_end2 = December 5, 2001 | predecessor2 = Neal Zimmers | successor2 = Tom Roberts | state_house3 = Ohio | state3 = Ohio | district3 = 38th | term_start3 = January 3, 1989 | term_end3 = December 31, 1994 | preceded3 = C.J. McLin | succeeded3 = Lloyd Lewis Jr. | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = | website = | relations = C. J. McLin (father) | education = Parsons College (BA)<br>Xavier University (MEd)<br>Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science (AS) }}

'''Rhine Lana McLin''' (born October 1948) is an American Democratic politician from Ohio who served as the 54th mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 2002 to 2010. McLin previously served as a member of both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly.

== Education == {{BLP unreferenced section|date=October 2024}} McLin received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and secondary education from Parsons College and her Master of Education in guidance counseling from Xavier University. She also holds an associate's degree in mortuary science granted by the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

== Career == In 1988, when McLin's father, C. J. McLin, died, Rhine was appointed to serve the remainder of his term in the Ohio House of Representatives. She was then elected to the seat in 1990, and re-elected in 1992. She then was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1994, and re-elected to the senate in 1998. In 2001, McLin was named Minority Leader (completing the term of Ohio senator Ben Espy). She served as Minority Leader until she left the Senate in 2002, barred by term limits from running for re-election again that year. She ran for the office of mayor of Dayton.

McLin was elected mayor of Dayton in 2001, defeating incumbent Republican Michael R. Turner and began serving her term in 2002. She was re-elected in 2005, defeating opponent David R. Bohardt. McLin was an Ohio delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention. In 2009, she lost re-election for mayor.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/leitzell-pulls-off-upset-of-mclin-381862.html|title = Political newcomer Leitzell pulls off upset of two-term incumbent McLin|last = Huist Smith|first = Joanne|date = 3 November 2009|work = Dayton Daily News|access-date = 3 September 2014}}</ref>

In 1994, McLin became the first African American woman elected to the Ohio State Senate. She was the first African American woman to serve as Ohio Senate minority leader. Upon leaving the Senate, she became the first woman to serve as mayor of Dayton.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} She is the third African American mayor of Dayton.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} Finally, in late 2005 she was the first African American woman to serve as head of the Ohio Democratic Party.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Since 2012, McLin has served as the Vice Chairwoman of the Ohio Democratic Party.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://ohiodems.org/about/meet-the-vice-chairwoman/|title = Meet the Vice Chairwoman|access-date = 3 September 2014|website = ohiodems.org|publisher = Ohio Democratic Party|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140904052327/http://ohiodems.org/about/meet-the-vice-chairwoman/|archive-date = 4 September 2014}}</ref> In August 2012, McLin was mentioned as a possible candidate to fill the Ohio state representative seat vacated by Clayton Luckie, but she ultimately declined to run.<ref>"[http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/former-dayton-mayor-wont-run-for-state-rep#.UDKVuqD6CSo WDTN.com - Former Dayton mayor won't run for state rep]". {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813231048/http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/former-dayton-mayor-wont-run-for-state-rep#.UDKVuqD6CSo |date=August 13, 2012 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://ohioladiesgallery.org/PublicOfficial.aspx?personId=108190 Profile on the Ohio Ladies' Gallery website] *[https://digitalgallery.bgsu.edu/collections/item/42473 Oral history interview from Bowling Green State University Library Archives] from July 20, 2021 *''Follow the Money'' - Rhine McLin **[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=47291 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=46858 1998] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=46522 1996] Ohio Senate campaign contributions

{{S-start}} {{S-off}} {{Succession box | title = Mayor of Dayton, Ohio | years = 2002&ndash;2009 | before = Mike Turner | after = Gary Leitzell }} {{S-end}}

{{OhioSen05thDst|state=expanded}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLin, Rhine}} Category:1948 births Category:African-American mayors in Ohio Category:African-American state legislators in Ohio Category:Central State University faculty Category:Embalmers Category:American funeral directors Category:Living people Category:Mayors of Dayton, Ohio Category:Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Category:Democratic Party Ohio state senators Category:Xavier University alumni Category:Women mayors of places in Ohio Category:Women state legislators in Ohio Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:American women academics Category:20th-century African-American women politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:African-American women mayors Category:20th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Category:21st-century mayors of places in Ohio