One of the worst kept secrets in Ohio politics this year was revealed on Sunday, with Mike DeWine launching his campaign for governor and starting a tour of the state.
Mike DeWine made his announcement at his annual ice cream social at his home in Cedarville in front of several hundred people. He named schools as his top priority, along with Ohio’s deadly opioid crisis, which he’s been dealing with as Attorney General.
“My pledge to you is that when I’m governor of this state, I will take the lead and we’ll get in front of this epidemic. We will do that,” he said.
DeWine has been in elected office for most of the last four decades, including as US Senator, so he’s expected to vault to front-runner status in the four-way race for the Republican nomination against Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, Secretary of State Jon Husted and Congressman Jim Renacci. Four Democrats are also running for governor for now.
