COLUMBUS — At this stage four years ago, Democratic candidates for Ohio governor had participated in multiple debates, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen this year before the primary election.
Gov. Mike DeWine, meanwhile, was noncommittal about the potential for a debate with fellow Republicans who are trying to flank him from the right.
“I don't know about a debate,” he told The Blade. “We'll talk about that when we get further into it.”
The nonpartisan, nonprofit Ohio Debate Commission has asked likely candidates in the governor and U.S. Senate races to save the dates of March 28 and 29. Its plan is for four televised debates — one for each side of the aisle in both races — over the course of those two days at Central State University in Xenia.
“Voters have very few opportunities to engage directly with candidates,” said Jill Zimon, the organization's executive director. “The pandemic has only made that worse. We need a reminder that candidates and voters have a relationship, and that includes voters getting information that is not limited to paid advertisements and stump speeches.”
The primary election is May 3.
In addition to Mr. DeWine, the GOP field includes former northeast Ohio congressman Jim Renacci and central Ohio farmer and businessman Joe Blystone. There has also been rumbling about additional candidates entering the race.
“Our team would welcome a debate with Mike DeWine,” Renacci spokesman Tom Weyand said. In addition to the debate commission’s invitation, he said the campaign has been contacted by several organizations and TV stations, and several dates had been set aside for that purpose.
The Blystone campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
So far it appears that the Democratic field is limited to two former mayors — Nan Whaley of Dayton and John Cranley of Cincinnati.
“Primaries are good. Debates are good. An exchange of ideas is good,” Matt Schoonmaker, manager of the Cranley campaign, said. “It's the right thing for voters to hear directly from both candidates. It makes the party stronger and the eventual nominee stronger.”
In addition to the debate commission proposal, Mr. Cranley has accepted an invitation from the Columbus Metropolitan Club and has challenged Ms. Whaley to do the same.
During the fall of 2017, Ms. Whaley appeared on stage multiple times with several candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for governor. The debates were largely arranged by the party and sometimes doubled as fund-raisers.
But, ultimately, none of the candidates on that slate became the nominee. Most, including Ms. Whaley, dropped out after Richard Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general and federal consumer watchdog, entered the race late in the game. He went on to win the nomination but lost the general election to Mr. DeWine.
“We're absolutely going to debate,” Whaley campaign spokesman Courtney Rice said. “It's something we will talk about, and we'll lock in the details after the filing deadline. She will share her vision. Right now she is focused on talking to voters across the state.”
Mr. Cranley has proposed a series of regional debates with Ms. Whaley.
“Both mayors have very different records in the direction that their cities have taken,” Mr. Schoonmaker said. “They have very different visions about how they want to move the state forward. Mayor Cranley is talking about jobs, an energy dividend, and legalizing marijuana. These are the types of ideas that Democrats, independents, and Republicans should hear from the candidates.”
Ms. Zimon said formal preprimary debate invitations from the debate commission will go out after the Feb. 2 candidate filing deadline. Criteria for eligibility for a spot on the stage — considering such things as polling — will be announced later.
That is likely to be more of an issue for the GOP primary to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman.
The long list of announced candidates includes state Sen. Matt Dolan (R., Chagrin Falls), former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, former Ohio Republican Party chairman Jane Timken, Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance, and Cleveland area businessmen Bernie Moreno and Mike Gibbons.
On the Democratic side, the field is much more limited — U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, of Niles, and Morgan Harper, a Columbus consumer protection lawyer and community organizer.
First Published January 11, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
