Former Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ended speculation and announced this week that she will indeed run for governor next year as a Democrat. Acton burst upon the Ohio and national scene five years ago in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For many, she was a calming, empathetic voice in turbulent times. For others, she was the face of government overreach and unnecessary panic. She left the post three months into the pandemic.
After that, she largely disappeared. She headed a couple of non-profits and toyed with the idea of running for U.S. Senate in 2022, but decided against it.
The next question is who will run against her. Former Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern said last year he was considering a run for governor. House Minority Leader Allison Russo of suburban Columbus is thought to be a likely candidate. And then there is former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown whose plans are unknown.
An Open Seat
And when J.D. Vance takes the oath of office to become the 51st Vice President, he will vacate his spot in the Senate. It's up to Gov. Mike DeWine to fill that seat.
Speculation as to who will succeed Vance has narrowed to two names: Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and former GOP Chair Jane Timken.
Husted wants to be governor. He's raised millions of dollars to launch a campaign. But it's far from a sure thing that he could win a GOP primary if Trump favorite Vivek Ramaswamy runs.
Whoever DeWine picks for the Senate must be a Trump favorite. Perhaps that's why DeWine and Husted went to Mar-a-Lago last month to meet with the President-elect.
Snollygoster of the week
The first person in a century to hold two of the three most powerful positions in state government, Matt Huffman did that this week when he became Speaker of the Ohio House. He immediately traded one gavel for another. Just a few days ago, Huffman was the President of the Ohio Senate.
Say what you will about his politics and his practices, it was a masterful political move to support candidates who would support him as Speaker and outmaneuver the now-former House Speaker Jason Stephens. Now, with one of his allies as the new Senate President, the path is clear for many of Huffman's priorities.
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