Nan Whaley becomes first woman nominated by major party for Ohio governor, will face DeWine – The Columbus Dispatch

DeWine says his focus is on children, including the unborn

Gov. Mike DeWine at his victory party pledged to continue his focus on children, including those yet to be born.

"This is an administration that focuses on the most vulnerable members of our society and that certainly includes the unborn. So it's something that we care very, very deeply about," DeWine said with his wife Fran and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted at his side.

DeWine also doubled down on law-and-order politics, saying he favors funding the police and stopping the spread of illegal drugs coming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Republican also took a victory lap on Ohio landing the Intel chip manufacturing project in Licking County. "Why did they come to Ohio? Because they know there is no better place to raise a family," he said.

Without naming Democratic nominee Nan Whaley, DeWine said he will draw contrasts between him and his opponent.

Former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley won the Democratic primary for Ohio governor in a commanding fashion, becoming the first woman to win a major partys nomination for the job.

Whaleydefeated former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, a friend and colleague, in a race that was largely cordial but involved a late-campaignspat pitting her leadership in Dayton against his in Cincinnati.

Whaley now sets her sights on Gov. Mike DeWine, who easily won the GOP nomination.Whaley and running mate Cheryl Stephens, a Cuyahoga County Council member,campaigned on the idea thatOhio deserves better than the policies that Republicans have imposed over the years.

Expect Whaley to focus on corruption at the Ohio Statehouse tied to a $1 billion nuclear bailout and abortion access asthe landmark Roe v. Wade decision is likely hanging by a thread.

Whaley won the primary without an endorsement from the Ohio Democratic Party, which remained neutral in the race.

Gov. Mike DeWine easily won the Republican partys nomination over a crowded field despite frustrations about how the longtime politician handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeWine, 75, of Cedarville, defeated former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, Canal Winchester farmer Joe Blystone and former state Rep. Ron Hood to win the GOP nomination. He had won 56.6% of the vote when the Associated Press called the race at 8:16 p.m. Tuesday.

DeWine is among the state's best-known politicians, having served asa U.S. senator and representative, lieutenant governor, state senatorand most recently attorney general. He was on Ohioans' television and computer screens daily amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It would be difficult to find an Ohioan who doesn't know DeWine.

But his Republican competitors were banking on GOP voters not liking what they knew: The governor closed businesses, schools and polling locations to slow the spread of COVID-19. His record on guns was mixed over the decades. He doesn't spend much time talkingabout former President Donald Trump.

A single, focused candidate might have skewered DeWine for these positions, but the field was too large and disorganized to mount a credible campaign as the anti-DeWine candidate.

Renacci, who came in second with 25.7% of the vote, spent time attackingBlystone rather than focusing on DeWine. Renacci, who lost a U.S. Senate bid to Democrat Sherrod Brown in 2018, repeated the same errors in his previous race: donating large sums to his own campaign but not spending enough of it on advertisements.

Blystone captured some grassroots support, appealing to voters as an outsider candidate. But his campaign wasmessy withhigh turnover among volunteer staffand incomplete campaign finance reports.

Former state Rep. Ron Hood and running mate Candice Keller were last-minute entries into the race and barely registered with most voters.

DeWine enters the fall race as the heavy favorite in a state that elected former President Donald Trump by 8 percentage points, twice. He has name recognition and a campaign war chest that Democrats can't hope to match. Add to thatPresident Joe Biden's poor approval ratings and Novembercould be a tough road for Democrats.

But Democratic candidate Nan Whaley, who was leading Tuesday night, hopes to attack DeWineon corruption at the Ohio Statehouse and access to abortion, which is in a precarious spot with the U.S. Supreme Cour

Earlier story:

In today's election, Gov. Mike DeWine expects to fend off challenges from three Republicans, and two Southwest Ohio mayorsface off in the Democratic primary.

In his reelection bid, DeWine is up againstformer U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, farmer Joe Blystone and ex-state Rep. Ron Hood for the GOP nomination. Each challenger has tried to capitalize on voters' frustrations with DeWine closingbusinesses, schools and polling locations to slow the spread of COVID-19.

That anti-DeWine sentiment exists, but it's also divided among the candidates. Any effort to consolidate or reduce the number of candidates ultimately failed. Former President Donald Trump did not endorse a candidate in the governor race despite picking J.D. Vance to replace Sen. Rob Portman in Ohio's contentious U.S. Senate race.

COVID and politics: In battling COVID-19, DeWine infuriated some in the GOP. How will that affect reelection?

Ohio governor race: Jim Renacci flier touts past Trump endorsement in bid to unseat DeWine

Grassroots leader or shady spoiler?: Why Joe Blystone is running for Ohio governor

Former state representative: Ron Hood files to run for Ohio governor against incumbent Mike DeWine

On the Democratic side, former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley faces former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley for the nomination. The night before, Politico published a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion striking down the landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade. The news pushed the abortion debate back into the forefront of voters' minds, a fact that likely benefits Whaley because of her consistent position supporting access to abortion.

Cranley and Whaley come to the race with similar resumes, havingled Southwest Ohio cities during the past eight years. But each has different plans if elected governor.

Whaley benefits from a slew of endorsements, most notably U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. Cranley racked up support from newspaper editorial boards. The Ohio Democratic Party did not endorse in the primary despite picking U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan for the U.S. Senate race.

The race could come down to which candidate is better known by voters in Democrat-rich Cleveland and Columbus.

If Whaley clinches the Democratic primary, she would be the first woman to win a major political party's nomination in Ohio's history.

Democratic race for nomination: As Democratsfight to replace Mike DeWine, Cincinnati and Dayton are on the ballot

Ohio Politics Explained podcast: What's on your primary ballot?

Watch: Ohio's district maps and the May 3 primary

Ohio has never elected a womanas governor. Gov. Nancy Hollister served as the state's leader for 11 days after Gov. George Voinovich started work in theU.S. Senate and before Gov. Bob Taft took office.

Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. If you are in line when polls close, you will be able to vote.

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

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Nan Whaley becomes first woman nominated by major party for Ohio governor, will face DeWine - The Columbus Dispatch