Ohio: Upsetting the Apple Cart

Gadfly former Congressman and Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich joined the Democratic gubernatorial primary yesterday.  The move had been expected for months, but Mr. Kucinich now has made his intentions public.  He is unlikely to raise much money for the campaign, though his name identification is such that he will attract a significant share of base Democratic voters particularly from the city of Cleveland.  Already vying for the Democratic nomination are former Attorney General Richard Cordray, after resigning his position as Director of the Federal Consumer Protection Bureau, ex-US Rep. Betty Sutton, Dayton Mayor Nan Whatley, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, state Supreme Court judge Bill O’Neill, and ex-state Rep. Connie Pillich. 
 
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who had acknowledged that she was considering switching to the Senate race when state Treasurer Josh Mandel dropped out of the federal race earlier this week, confirmed that she would remain a candidate for Governor.

--Jim Ellis