OHIO — Sen. Sherrod Brown endorsed Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley in the 2022 Ohio governor race Monday, calling her a “fighter for all of Ohio.”
“I’m proud to endorse my friend Nan Whaley to be Ohio’s next governor. I’ve seen Nan lead through some of the toughest times a mayor can face. Through it all, Dayton has come out stronger. Nan will bring that same grit, compassion, and fierce commitment to the governor’s office,” Brown said in a statement.
Whaley announced her campaign in April, becoming the first Democrat to formally enter the race.
Whaley, 45, has helped the city through a mass shooting in the city’s Oregon District in 2019, a Ku Klux Klan rally that racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in security and a tornado, which devastated the city’s neighborhoods.
“When you’ve been through what Dayton has — factories out, opioids in, Mother Nature running wild, a gunman changing everything in 32 seconds — it molds you. Puts a little steel in your spine. Makes you strong enough to stand up to the biggest bullies and fight for your own. The only way I got through it all is to be as tough as the people of Dayton and the people who raised me,” Whaley said in her campaign announcement.
On the Democratic side, Whaley is going up against Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. Also on Monday, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 67 in Columbus announced its endorsement for Cranley, becoming the third labor organization to back his campaign. Both candidates have had a slew of endorsements from mayors, organizations and more.
On the Republican side, Gov. Mike DeWine is going up for reelection with Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as his running mate again. Farmer Joe Blystone and former Ohio Rep. Jim Renacci are also running for the spot.
“I am so honored to have Sherrod’s endorsement in my campaign for governor. Sherrod has long been a mentor to me and has proven that Democrats can win in Ohio, if they stand up for the middle class and fight for the dignity of work. Together, I know we can create an Ohio where one good job is enough and where everyone, regardless of their zip code, has the chance to thrive,” Whaley said in a statement.
The gubernatorial election will take place Nov. 8, 2022.
