A day after a second Republican came into the race for governor, a fourth candidate has announced she'll campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley is running for re-election unopposed this year, but now says she’s in the 2018 campaign for governor.
Whaley focused on the economy and the state’s opioid crisis in a statement announcing her campaign, saying Ohioans are angry, and that Republicans who’ve dominated the Statehouse for 25 years have “run this state into the ground.”
She’s entering a crowded Democratic field, with state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, former Congresswoman Betty Sutton, and former state rep. Connie Pillich. Whaley says a primary can be good for the party.
“When the Democratic Party has primaries, usually we pick the best candidate, the most electable candidate," Whaley says. "When the other side has primaries, they usually pick the most extreme.”
On the Republican side, a four-way primary is expected among Secretary of State Jon Husted, who launched his campaign over the weekend, Northeast Ohio Congressman Jim Renacci, who joined the race in March, along with Attorney General Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who have yet to officially announce.
