Phil; his wife, Rebecca; and their children, Henry and Allie

As host of Hard Truths with Phil Heimlich, Phil “seeks the difficult answers where they can best be found: through the pages of history; through our own common sense; and most importantly, in the Word of God.”

Phil’s journey to hosting Hard Truths has been long, paved with distinguished public and community service. It is his unique experiences and commitment to faith which drives Phil to continue his service.

A graduate of Stanford University with Distinction in 1975, Phil went on to earn his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1979. While serving as Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor in Cincinnati, Phil specialized in felony criminal prosecution, including murder, rape, robbery, assault and white-collar offenses.

Elected to Cincinnati City Council from 1993-2001, Phil continued to serve Cincinnati communities as Hamilton County Commissioner from 2002-2006. In both roles, Phil was a strong supporter of law enforcement, initiating Cincinnati’s teen curfew, passing laws restricting strip clubs and porn shops, and founding Cincinnati’s highly successful Citizens on Patrol program.

Taking on the role of “fiscal watchdog”, Phil exposed massive waste at the taxpayer-funded Drake Hospital – waste that jeopardized patient care and threatened to bankrupt the facility, potentially leaving hundreds of patients without much-needed long-term care. By working with the Drake Board, the University of Cincinnati and the Health Alliance  of Greater Cincinnati, Phil was able to save both the hospital and millions of taxpayer dollars by improving Drake’s management and ending the county’s tax levy.

In addition to serving as an elected official, Phil established Riverside Academy, a kindergarten through sixth grade charter school; and the Life Skills Center, a charter school which provides academic instruction,  and job training and placement for high school dropouts. He is also the co-founder of the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Greater Cincinnati, which has raised $3.5 million in scholarships for low-income children to attend private schools.

His awards include the first Torch Award for Community Service from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and the Community Defender Award from Citizens for Community Values.

Phil believes it is important for him to share his faith in Christ and the impact God has made in his life. Phil has given this message at Mayor’s Prayer Breakfasts throughout the country.

The son of the renowned Dr. Henry Heimlich, inventor of the “Heimlich Maneuver”, Phil is married to Rebecca, also an attorney. They are the proud parents of Henry, age 6, and Allie, age 4.