Mike DeWine, Jon Husted to join forces in governor's race, sources say

Two powerful Republicans running for governor have decided to join forces instead of running against each other, sources say.

Attorney General Mike DeWine is expected to name Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted as his running mate in the 2018 GOP primary for governor at an event in Dayton on Thursday.

Husted and his campaign team could not be reached for comment. DeWine’s campaign spokesman declined to comment.

The two politicos could make a powerhouse team in what has been a four-person race for the Republican Party nomination. Both men have deep political resumes and long-standing ties to the Miami Valley.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Husted, 50, a former University of Dayton football star, represented Kettering in the Ohio General Assembly while DeWine, 70, was first elected to public office in 1977 when he became Greene County prosecutor.

Also in the GOP race are U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor of Uniontown.

Related: Who is running for governor?

DeWine served in the Ohio Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the lieutenant governor’s office and U.S. Senate. Democrat Sherrod Brown ousted him from the U.S. Senate in 2006. Then in 2010 DeWine ran for attorney general, unseating Democrat Richard Cordray.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Cordray just resigned as director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, leading to speculation that he will announce he is running for governor.

Democrats who have declared they’re running are: Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, former state representative Connie Pillich of Cincinnati and former U.S. representative Betty Sutton of the Akron area.

Related: Mike DeWine announces run for governor

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