Leonard was elected four times to seats in the
Ohio General Assembly. After his time in the Ohio General Assembly he then served as mayor of
Dayton, Ohio, from 1982 to 1986. After finishing his term as mayor he was elected
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 1986 on the ticket with
Richard F. Celeste. He served as the lieutenant governor from 1987 to 1991. While
mayor of Dayton, Leonard was known as outgoing and youth-oriented, sometimes called "the Rock 'N' Roll Mayor of Dayton." He played the electric guitar and appeared in television commercials. After his tenure as lieutenant governor, Leonard returned to Dayton to practice law. He founded the Center for Animal Law and Advocacy, a legal team that advocates for harsher penalties for those who mistreat animals. In addition to his law practice, Leonard currently teaches in the political science departments at both
Wright State University and the
University of Dayton. He is also on the Board of Directors for the
Animal Legal Defense Fund. He currently lives in Florida, but commutes to Dayton to teach his classes. ==References==