Columbus, OH — As debate season starts to ramp up in the closing weeks and days of the election cycle, Mike DeWine has continued to duck committing to debates across Ohio with Mayor Nan Whaley, even as the Mayor has already publicly agreed and challenged DeWine to a number of debates. DeWine also dodged a debate with his primary opponents earlier this year, signaling that he is scared to defend his record to Ohioans, especially since he’s debated political opponents in the past. It’s ‘DeWine Debate Watch’ Day 9, reminding Ohioans that DeWine won’t even try to make his case to them as he seeks re-election to the highest statewide executive office.
“Mike DeWine clearly knows his record over the last four years of selling out working families in favor of the wealthy and well-connected is not going to be popular with Ohio voters. If DeWine can’t even muster the political courage to tell Ohioans why they should re-elect him, he doesn’t deserve the job and should be held publicly accountable for his cowardice,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.
Ohioans deserve answers from DeWine on a number of key issues, including his promise to ‘go as far as we can’ to rip away reproductive rights, his broken promise to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence in Ohio, his connections to the largest public corruption scandal in state history and his role in the failed redistricting process that produced GOP-gerrymandered maps and cost Ohioans millions of dollars.
Read more from the Toledo Blade Editorial Board here and below:
Toledo Blade Editorial: DeWine’s Debate Decision Will Be Telling
Editorial Board
September 5, 2022
- Labor Day is the traditional starting point for the all-out political campaigning for the fall general election. But some of the standard campaign activities can’t be taken for granted anymore.
- The polls apparently tell Mr. DeWine he has more to lose than gain from engaging in the political combat of debate. We understand why he would like to skip adversarial questions about the First Energy scandal; PUCO appointments; abortion law, and gun carry laws.
- The governor’s claim that joint interactions at newspaper editorial boards, which can be streamed for internet viewing, serve the same function as a televised debate is ridiculous. Even more outlandish is the contention that interaction with voters at county fairs and political stops is somehow equivalent to the give and take with an opponent.
- But if the governor is reelected behind a wave of money — much of which is generated from interests with business before Ohio—his moral authority will be non-existent.
- Gov. DeWine’s debate decision will tell us if he wants to lead Ohio or simply win a second term.
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