Whaley’s political committee seeks support for possible governor bid

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley says she’ll decide soon whether she will enter governor’s race. CORNELIUS FROLIK / STAFF

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley says she’ll decide soon whether she will enter governor’s race. CORNELIUS FROLIK / STAFF

Nan Whaley’s political candidate committee is soliciting donations to “gauge enthusiasm” for her possible entry into the gubernatorial race.

Google “Nan Whaley,” and the first result is an ad paid for by the Friends of Nan Whaley that, when clicked on, directs visitors to a page that encourages them to enter their name, postal code and e-mail address if they agree that “we need Nan in state politics” and she should join the governor’s race.

EARLIER: Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley ‘considering’ run for governor

Visitors who submit their information are taken to a page that asks for contributions and says, “If you believe that Nan would make a great governor, make sure she knows where you stand by making a contribution to her campaign today.”

Reached for comment Mayor Whaley said, “I’ll be making a decision soon” on whether she will run for the state’s highest office in 2018. Whaley declined further comment.

She is up for re-election as Dayton’s mayor this fall, but is running unopposed.

RELATED: Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley to run unopposed, making history

Whaley has a lot to consider as she weighs whether to join the race, and the ad for support is just one of a variety of ways to gather information useful for reaching a decision, said Dennis Willard, an advisor and friend.

“This is not something she or anyone else takes lightly,” he said. “She wants to make the best decision really for Dayton, for Ohio.”

The race to replace John Kasich could get crowded.

Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton and state Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni, D-Boardman, announced they are running. Both are Democrats.

Republicans expected to run include U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, Attorney General Mike DeWine and Secretary of State Jon Husted.

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