Ohio Democrats

Donate

Mike DeWine

Ohio Democratic Party Statement on Republicans Refusing to Participate in Ohio Debate Commission Debates

Columbus, OH — Today, the Ohio Democratic Party released the following statement after the Ohio Debate Commission announced today that J.D. Vance and Mike DeWine are refusing to participate in any of their scheduled debates. 

“J.D. Vance and Mike DeWine are both cowards and know Ohio voters view them as frauds and their agendas as out-of-touch. If Vance and DeWine can’t muster the courage to stand on a debate stage and face the voters, they certainly won’t be brave enough to take on special interests or their own party and do what’s right for our state. Neither J.D. nor Mike belongs anywhere near elected office,” said Chair Elizabeth Walters. 

“Separately, for the Ohio Debate Commission to blame ‘both parties’ for a lack of debates and refuse to hold Republicans accountable in any way for not participating is disingenuous and cowardly. They should be ashamed of themselves. Attempting to ‘both sides’ this issue and letting Republican candidates off the hook only reinforces Republican behavior that has brought us to this point,” continued Walters. 

###

Ohio Democrats Bring the “Not-So-Strong Ohio” Tour to Youngstown

Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democrats brought their “Not-So-Strong Ohio” tour to Youngstown as they travel across the state to lay out how Mike DeWine’s weakness is taking our state backward. 

For four years, DeWine has been too weak to stand up to extremists in his own party and the special interests fueling his campaign, instead serving as a rubber stamp for policies that hurt working families while failing to provide the leadership Ohioans expect from their governor.  

“On issues ranging from abortion rights to gun violence to redistricting to the largest public corruption scandal in state history, Mike DeWine’s weakness is costing Ohioans big time and taking our state backward,” said Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown.

Key examples of DeWine’s weakness include:

  • Abortion Rights – Mike DeWine told an anti-abortion special interest group that he wants ‘to go as far as he can’ to rip away reproductive rights in Ohio. 
  • Gun Violence – Despite promising to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence, DeWine caved to the gun lobby and signed gun bills that are opposed by Ohio law enforcement because they make Ohioans less safe. 
  • FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal – ‘State Official 1’ has been dodging questions since October about what he knew and when about the largest public corruption scandal in state history, a scandal that continues to cost Ohioans $287,000 every single day. 
  • Redistricting – Even as he knew the maps he was passing were likely unconstitutional, DeWine ignored voters, caved to his own party and rubber stamped seven illegal, GOP-gerrymandered maps. 

With this kind of record, it’s no wonder Mike DeWine is scared to debate Nan Whaley. He’s spent his whole time as governor selling out to the wealthy and well-connected and leaving Ohio workers to pay the price. 

“Ohio deserves better. We need a governor who will stand up to the bad guys, not do their bidding. We need Nan Whaley,” Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Chris Anderson.

Ohio Democrats, like former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, are offering a better way forward: moving our state forward by investing in working families and putting kitchen-table, economic issues front and center.

###

Ohio Democrats Bring the “Not-So-Strong Ohio” Tour to Dayton

Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democrats brought their “Not-So-Strong Ohio” tour to Dayton as they travel across the state to lay out how Mike DeWine’s weakness is taking our state backward. 

For four years, DeWine has been too weak to stand up to extremists in his own party and the special interests fueling his campaign, instead serving as a rubber stamp for policies that hurt working families while failing to provide the leadership Ohioans expect from their governor. 

“On issues ranging from abortion rights to gun violence to redistricting to the largest public corruption scandal in state history, Mike DeWine’s weakness is costing Ohioans big time and taking our state backward,” said Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Jr.

Key examples of DeWine’s weakness include:

  • Abortion Rights – Mike DeWine told an anti-abortion special interest group that he wants ‘to go as far as he can’ to rip away reproductive rights in Ohio. 
  • Gun Violence – Despite promising to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence, DeWine caved to the gun lobby and signed gun bills that are opposed by Ohio law enforcement because they make Ohioans less safe. 
  • FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal – ‘State Official 1’ has been dodging questions since October about what he knew and when about the largest public corruption scandal in state history, a scandal that continues to cost Ohioans $287,000 every single day. 
  • Redistricting – Even as he knew the maps he was passing were likely unconstitutional, DeWine ignored voters, caved to his own party and rubber stamped seven illegal, GOP-gerrymandered maps. 

With this kind of record, it’s no wonder Mike DeWine is scared to debate Nan Whaley. He’s spent his whole time as governor selling out to the wealthy and well-connected and leaving Ohio workers to pay the price. 

“Ohio deserves better. We need a governor who will stand up to the bad guys, not do their bidding. We need Nan Whaley,” said Ohio Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington.

Ohio Democrats, like former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, are offering a better way forward: moving our state forward by investing in working families and putting kitchen-table, economic issues front and center. 

“Under Mike DeWine, we’ll have extremists in the legislature running the show, pushing radical agendas that keep businesses away from our state and taking our economy backward,” said Ohio Secretary of State Candidate Chelsea Clark. 

###

Ohio Democrats Bring the “Not-So-Strong Ohio” Tour to Lima

Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democrats brought their “Not-So-Strong Ohio” tour to Lima as they travel across the state to lay out how Mike DeWine’s weakness is taking our state backward. 

For four years, DeWine has been too weak to stand up to extremists in his own party and the special interests fueling his campaign, instead serving as a rubber stamp for policies that hurt working families while failing to provide the leadership Ohioans expect from their governor.  

“On issues ranging from abortion rights to gun violence to redistricting to the largest public corruption scandal in state history, Mike DeWine’s weakness is costing Ohioans big time and taking our state backward,” said Ohio Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington.

Key examples of DeWine’s weakness include:

  • Abortion Rights – Mike DeWine told an anti-abortion special interest group that he wants ‘to go as far as he can’ to rip away reproductive rights in Ohio. 
  • Gun Violence – Despite promising to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence, DeWine caved to the gun lobby and signed gun bills that are opposed by Ohio law enforcement because they make Ohioans less safe. 
  • FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal – ‘State Official 1’ has been dodging questions since October about what he knew and when about the largest public corruption scandal in state history, a scandal that continues to cost Ohioans $287,000 every single day. 
  • Redistricting – Even as he knew the maps he was passing were likely unconstitutional, DeWine ignored voters, caved to his own party and rubber stamped seven illegal, GOP-gerrymandered maps. 

With this kind of record, it’s no wonder Mike DeWine is scared to debate Nan Whaley. He’s spent his whole time as governor selling out to the wealthy and well-connected and leaving Ohio workers to pay the price. 

“Under Mike DeWine, we’ll have extremists in the legislature running the show, pushing radical agendas that keep businesses away from our state and taking our economy backward,” said Ohio Secretary of State candidate Chelsea Clark. 

Ohio Democrats, like former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, are offering a better way forward: moving our state forward by investing in working families and putting kitchen-table, economic issues front and center. 

“Ohio deserves better. We need a governor who will stand up to the bad guys, not do their bidding. We need Nan Whaley,” said Lima 5th Ward City Councilmember Jamie Dixon. 

###

DeWine Debate Watch: Day 10

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 10, 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 Ohio Capital Journal here and below: 

Ohio Capital Journal: Gov. Mike DeWine’s Shifting Record On Debating 
Nick Evans
September 6, 2022

  • In about two months Ohioans will decide on their next governor. But so far, Gov. Mike DeWine has refused to debate his Democratic challenger, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
  • In general, challengers are champing at the bit to get on the debate stage early and often. Incumbents meanwhile, tend to push for a limited debate schedule. DeWine has found himself on both sides of that argument.
  • Thanks to the archives of the Columbus Dispatch, it’s possible to track much of DeWine’s record.
  • Looking at DeWine’s overall record, he’s eagerly sought the debate stage and stubbornly avoided it whenever it has suited him. Sometimes he’s won and sometimes he’s lost, but it doesn’t appear he has paid a political price yet for ducking a debate.
  • If he holds out and refuses to debate Democratic nominee Nan Whaley, it won’t be unheard of, but DeWine will certainly be an outlier.

###