Incumbents and challengers for Ohio’s Governor, U.S. Senator and U.S. House Representative have now set their sights on the November 6 election after securing their party’s nomination during the primary election on May 8.
Now that the Republican and Democratic fields have been narrowed down to at least one candidate from each party, campaigns vying for their candidate’s election or reelection are beginning to spread their message and attract voters. While it is still months away, the general election looms large over a state that holds many important races that can shape the future of the state and U.S. Congress.
Governor of Ohio
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is the Republican nominee to replace term-limited Governor John Kasich. DeWine, who has been involved in Ohio politics since 1980 when he was elected to the Ohio State Senate, defeated Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor in the primary by over 18 percent.
Joshua Eck, a spokesperson for DeWine’s campaign said in an email that DeWine and his running mate, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, are prepared to go into the General Election strong after unifying the Republican party.
DeWine was elected to the Ohio Attorney General office in 2010 when he defeated then incumbent candidate Richard Cordray. Cordray is the Democratic nominee for Ohio Governor this year.
“It is no surprise that Ohioans aren't enthusiastic about the Democrats slate of candidates because they have not forgotten the dark days of Ted Strickland and Richard Cordray when the state lost over 400,000 jobs, ran up an $8 billion budget shortfall and drained the Rainy Day Fund to just 89 cents," Eck said in an email.
Cordray, the former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Barack Obama, won the Democratic nomination by defeating five other candidates and garnering over 62 percent of the vote.
Cordray did not respond to requests for a comment.
U.S. Representative to Congress (15th District)
Incumbent candidate Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, ran unopposed and won the Republican party’s nomination for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District for the sixth time since 2008. Stivers, a brigadier general in the Ohio Army National Guard and current chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee seeks a fifth term to represent a district that stretches across Central and Southeast Ohio.
Stivers said his campaign plans will come second to doing his job because he said he believes that good policy is good politics. As summer and fall approach, he will begin to incorporate more events, like door-to-door campaigning.
“If I do a good job, (the voters) will send me back, and if they don’t think I am doing a good job, they won’t,” Stivers said.
Rick Neal, a Columbus resident and former international aid worker has never run for political office prior to securing the Democratic nomination for this race. Neal was challenged by Rob Jarvis but won by a margin of 27 percent during the primary according to the unofficial numbers from the office of the Ohio Secretary of State.
“I’m running for Congress to fight for the people of the 15th District, but also to listen to them and have a conversation with them,” Neal said in an email. “The priorities of the folks here will be my priorities.”
Neal, who would be the first openly gay member of Congress from Ohio if he wins, plans to focus his campaign on getting Ohioans access to better paying jobs, affordable healthcare and finding an end to the opioid crisis. Neal said he believes Stivers does not pay enough attention to Ohioans to be able to fix these issues.
“Since getting to Congress and working his way into the GOP leadership, Rep. Stivers has chosen the worst of Washington; the Wall Street banks, Big Pharma, and predatory lenders, over the people of the 15th District every time,” Neal said in an email.
Stivers said he is not focused on Neal, but he said he is focused on growing the economy, improving rural broadband, getting displaced workers jobs, reducing student debt and fighting the opioid crisis.
U.S. Senator from Ohio
Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown ran unopposed in this year’s primary, securing the Democratic nomination for one of Ohio’s two U.S. Senator positions for the third time since being nominated in 2006. Brown, a former Ohio Secretary of State and U.S. Representative serves on the Senate Banking Committee and the Joint Pension Committee.
Justin Barasky, Brown’s campaign manager, said Brown is honored to be his party’s nominee in a year when the Senator was able to focus on his job while the Republican candidates fought for their party’s nomination.
“We are going to continue to grow all facets of the campaign, seeing it organize around the state, talking to as many voters as we can and making sure we are aggressively drawing the contrast between Sherrod’s record of fighting for working families across the state and Jim Renacci’s record of only looking out for himself,” Barasky said.
Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, is the Republican nominee who will run against Brown. Renacci has represented the Ohio’s 16th Congressional District since being elected in 2010 and was previously a businessman involved in real estate, nursing homes and automobile dealerships. In the primary, he beat four other candidates.
“I came from a blue-collar family in Pennsylvania and was the first to graduate from college,” Renacci said in an email. “I have attained my American dream: I came to Ohio, started my first business, and have run 60 businesses over the course of 30 years.”
His campaign focuses on his experience as a private business owner and his ability to create jobs. Renacci said one of his appeals as a candidate is that he will work with President Donald Trump to help business thrive.
“Ohio deserves a voice in this senate seat who will advance rather than obstruct the president’s agenda, and who will fight for Ohio families and businesses,” Renacci said.
