The gubernatorial primary is the first election for statewide office since Ohio supported Donald Trump in 2016. That means we could soon learn a lot about Ohio鈥檚 Republican voters and the real impact Trump has had on state politics.
The Republican gubernatorial ballot has gone through several changes since this race started.
What was once a four-person race is now a two-person battle between Mike DeWine and Mary Taylor.
Taylor was a state lawmaker and the state auditor before becoming Gov. John Kasich鈥檚 lieutenant governor for the past seven years. She says the 2016 presidential election was a clear indication that voters wanted something different. So her strategy has been to reach out to the so-called 鈥淭rump voters.鈥�
鈥淭hey want to know that the candidate they鈥檙e choosing is in fact not only going to campaign as a conservative but to govern as a conservative and they also want to know that they鈥檙e going to challenge the status quo and my record says that I, very clearly, that I am willing to challenge the status quo and the establishment,鈥� say Taylor.
DeWine has spent decades in public service. He鈥檚 been attorney general since 2011 - before that he was a U.S. Senator and lieutenant governor. When asked if he鈥檚 worried about being tagged as the establishment politician, he says voters don鈥檛 pay attention to labels.
鈥淲hat people tell me is 鈥榣ook, we want to know what you鈥檙e going to do to make my life better. What you鈥檙e going to do to make my kid鈥檚 life better. How you鈥檙e going to fix the education problem. What鈥檙e you going to do about this horrible, horrible opioid problem,鈥� DeWine says.
While DeWine started this campaign focused on the issues, his strategy took a turn while he and Taylor started trading blows with negative ads.
鈥淐areer politician Mary Taylor is lying,鈥� says a DeWine ad, while Taylor鈥檚 campaign ad argues, 鈥淒.C. DeWine, too liberal for too long.鈥�
Polls have shown DeWine with a strong lead the entire race. But both candidates have spent nearly $5 million each on this tough primary fight.
Taylor has made gun-owner rights and the Second Amendment a cornerstone of her campaign. At a pro-gun rally on the 爆料吃瓜 steps, with a shotgun slung over her shoulder, Taylor distanced herself from DeWine and even her former running mate, John Kasich.
鈥淪o here is our message to John Kasich, Mike DeWine, and every other establishment politician鈥ome and take it!鈥� Taylor says.
As Taylor notes, DeWine has received poor reviews from the NRA based on his voting record on gun-control measures in the U.S. Senate. While he鈥檚 endorsed by the Buckeye Firearms Association, Taylor is backed by Ohioans for Concealed Carry.
DeWine says he鈥檚 been an advocate for gun owners, such as working to expand reciprocity. But when he鈥檚 pressed on possibly supporting some gun control measures鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e open to anything that is in fact reasonable and does actually accomplish something,鈥� says DeWine.
The question every candidate running for governor must answer is how they鈥檒l address Ohio鈥檚 widespread opioid.
Although Medicaid expansion has helped treat hundreds of thousands of Ohioans with addiction recovery, Taylor says those programs are economically unstable.
鈥淎s governor I will propose and I will fight for a ballot initiative put before the state of Ohio for the state to incentivize the private sector to build out the continuum of care for all of those living with addiction today to give them real help and hope and healing,鈥� says Taylor.
DeWine has implemented different programs to fight the opioid epidemic through law enforcement with additional events with local groups.
"We鈥檙e only going to be successful at saving lives if we really focus at the local level so I put together a team that can go out and help local communities really come up with grassroots efforts,鈥� DeWine says.
DeWine agrees that Medicaid is economically unstable and hopes Congress will make changes that will allow his administration to redesign the program.
Both DeWine and Taylor, in their ads, have tried to position themselves as allies of President Trump. Taylor has attended all three of the president鈥檚 trips to Ohio in the past year. While DeWine didn鈥檛 go to those events, he did travel to D.C. to take part in a meeting with the Trump Administration regarding opioids.
