Cranley has been saying he's running for governor for months. But now, he's making it official.
Cranley says Cincinnati was going through some tough times when he became mayor. But he says he has brought the city back and wants to do the same for Ohio.
“Ohio needs a comeback and we deserve a governor who has led a comeback. My career is synonymous with Cincinnati’s comeback and Mike DeWine and the Republicans who have led our state for 32 years – their careers are synonymous with decline," Cranley says.
Cranley says he wants to legalize marijuana in Ohio if he's elected governor. Right now, Ohio has a medical marijuana program but critics say it is expensive and difficult to access. In a campaign video posted to Youtube, Cranley says part of his “Ohio Comeback Plan” will be to add 30,000 jobs, which will pay $60,000 annually, to build roads, add broadband and build an energy economy. And he promises if he doesn’t get that done in his first term, he won’t run again.
Cranley will challenge Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley to get the party’s nod. On the Republican side, Mike DeWine is running for re-election but he’ll be challenged by at least two others running to his right – former Congressman Jim Renacci and Central Ohio farmer Joe Blystone.
Ohio Republican Party Executive Director Justin Bis says,"Ohioans need to look no further than John Cranley's mayoral record to know what kind of governor he would be—Cincinnatians face the third-highest homicide rate per capita in the nation and suffer from sky high poverty rates, double Ohio's."
