Governor-elect Mike DeWine, incoming Secretary of State Frank LaRose and incoming Auditor Keith Faber have announced their transition teams, the people who will help set policy, personnel and priorities for the next four years.
Brian Hicks headed up Governor-elect Bob Taft’s transition team as he took over for fellow Republican George Voinovich in 1998. Hicks said everyone needs to work fast to be ready for the budget process in January.
And he thinks DeWine’s transition team, led by longtime aide Laurel Dawson, will cast a wide net.
“If you go back and you look at some of the appointments that Voinovich did and that even Taft did, there were Democrats who served in their administration," Hicks said. "And I would expect that would be the case this year.”
LaRose selected for his transition team former Speaker JoAnn Davidson and former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who served on President Trump's now-defunct, controversial voter fraud commission. He's now a conservative commentator blasting Democrats in the Florida recount.
Faber has tapped current Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and former auditor Betty Montgomery as co-chairs of his transition team, which will be led by consultant Matt Dole.
Hicks said transition teams are selected for skill sets and sometimes for symbolism.
