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.
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