He was a delegate to the
Ohio Constitutional Convention in 1802. He served in the first
Ohio House of Representatives in 1803 and then in the
Ohio State Senate from 1803 to 1815. While serving as Speaker of the Senate, Kirker became Governor upon the resignation of
Edward Tiffin to take a seat in the
U.S. Senate. Kirker's term was extended through the 1807–1808 meeting of the Assembly due to the disqualification of
Return J. Meigs Jr. who had won the 1807 election to the governorship but had been disqualified by the Assembly as he had not met the residency requirements. Kirker ran for re-election in 1808, but lost badly to
Samuel Huntington. Kirker later returned to the Assembly, serving in the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1817 and in the State Senate from 1821 to 1825. Upon his death he was buried in a family burial plot on the farm. ==See also==