Mallory resigned his senate seat in 2005 to run for Mayor of Cincinnati. He defeated fellow Democrat David Pepper to win the election. Mallory was elected to a second term as Mayor on November 3, 2009.

On April 2, 2007, Mallory tried to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Cincinnati Reds’ game on Opening Day. Despite claims that he had trained with the University of Cincinnati baseball team, his pitch flew thirty feet to the first base side of home plate, terribly missing the intended target, Eric Davis. The ball hit the foot of umpire Sam Holbrook, who ejected Mallory before the contest even began. The pitch received national media attention (including appearances on Good Morning America and Cold Pizza), and Mallory got a chance to make amends on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but again failed to come anywhere close to the target with his throw. He was given a “second, second-chance” and finally completed a toss to actor Kurt Russell. Mallory took the incident as an opportunity to discuss Cincinnati’s positives.

Prior to his election in 2005, he served as assistant Minority Leader in the Ohio Senate. He won a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1994, replacing his father who retired after serving the district for nearly 30 years. He served in the Ohio House from 1995 to 1998, when he was elected to the Senate.

In November 1998, Mark Mallory was elected to represent the 9th Senate District in the Ohio General Assembly, and in 2002 was elected to his second four-year term. He was the Assistant Minority Leader for the Senate Democratic Caucus during his seven years in the General Assembly. In 2003, Senator Mallory passed a resolution in the General Assembly ratifying the 14th Amendment, 135 years after it was amended to the US Constitution.

Mark Mallory has received the following awards: the 1998 Meryl Shoemaker “Legislator of the Year” award, the 1999 Correctional Education Association “Excellence in Correctional Education” award, the 2001 National Association of Social Workers “Legislator of the Year” award, the 2002 Ohio Association of Election Officials “Wolfe Award of Excellence”, the Ohio Library Council’s 2003 Andrew Carnegie Award and the Legislator of the Year Award from the Ohio Community Corrections Association.

Mark Mallory (born April 2, 1962) is an American politician who served as the 68th Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.