COLUMBUS, Ohio — Just three years ago, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and then-Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley stood together to push for creating stronger gun laws after a man killed nine people and wounded more than two dozen in the Oregon District in 2019.
Allies then, DeWine and Whaley survived contested primaries to now face each other in the gubernatorial race defined by events that neither could have predicted at the time: the coronavirus pandemic and a U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
Who are the candidates?
DeWine is a 75-year-old career politician who led Ohio through the pandemic in his term as governor. In the May primary, he overcame two far-right opponents who criticized him for his aggressive decisions early in the pandemic, including a business shut-down order and a statewide mask mandate.
With the backing of former president Donald Trump, DeWine hopes to secure a second term in office.
Meanwhile, Whaley easily defeated former Cincinnati mayor John Cranley and is now trying to regain a seat last won by Democrats 16 years ago.
Experts say Whaley could benefit from increased Democratic and independent voter turnout for the tight U.S. Senate race between Republican J.D. Vance and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.
DeWine has generally portrayed himself above the campaign fray, which includes declining to debate Whaley. He said Ohioans already know him and his positions well.
Whaley, 46, has cast DeWine as a coward unwilling to defend his record in debates. She, the Ohio Democratic Party and an anti-DeWine PAC have been pounding the governor for weeks for not going head-to-head with Whaley.
Abortion
When DeWine became the Republican candidate for governor in the May 4 primary, he stated in his victory speech that he has voted on abortion issues for 40 years. He believes that leaders like himself “have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable.”
In 2019, DeWine signed the “heartbeat” bill, which bans abortions once a heartbeat is detected. The law has faced a legal battle since it was officially enacted when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
Whaley made a statement calling out DeWine for wanting abortion to be criminalized. During her campaign, she vowed that she would be a governor “who wouldn’t interfere with a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.”
On her campaign website, Whaley vowed to veto anti-abortion legislation and appoint an abortion-rights director for the Ohio Department of Public Health.
Whaley and DeWine once came together for tougher gun legislation in response to the Oregon District shooting. Now, the candidates’ opinions on the legislation differ.
Whaley supports universal background checks and “red flag” laws, which allow police, family members or even doctors to petition a court to take away someone's firearms for up to a year if they feel that person is a threat to themselves or others.
During his time as governor, DeWine signed major pieces of gun legislation for Ohio.
Senate Bill 215, or the “Constitutional Carry” law, allows a legal gun owner to carry a concealed firearm without the permit and training that was previously required.
The “stand your ground” law, also known as Senate Bill 175, allows someone with the legal right to be somewhere where they no longer have the duty to retreat if they feel their life is in danger.
House Bill 99 allows state school employees and staff members to arm themselves after 24 hours of training.
DeWine argues HB 99 further protects students from harm, in light of the Uvalde elementary school shooting where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
Whaley said if elected, she would repeal all of it in her effort to reduce gun violence.
The closest DeWine and Whaley came to a debate was an Oct. 6 event held by a children’s advocacy group where panelists separately quizzed each candidate on their positions on issues affecting kids.
DeWine and Whaley addressed the issues of mental health, calling it unacceptable that children are having to wait months for help.
DeWine has touted that his administration spent more than $1 billion that has been pumped into schools over the past two budgets to build up resources for students. He added that his administration is working to incentivize more people to get into the field of mental health through paid internships.
Whaley said, if elected, she wants more mental health clinics in schools across Ohio. The democratic candidate attacked DeWine for signing several gun laws, including one that would allow teachers to be armed in the classroom. She also blamed the state’s gun law for the high child suicide rate.
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