John Cranley
No response
Nan Whaley
City: Dayton
Education: B.A., University of Dayton; Master’s in Public Administration, Wright State University
Employment: Former mayor of Dayton
Community involvement: Dayton mayor, 2014-2021; Dayton City Commission, 2006-2014; President, U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2021; Ohio Mayors Alliance, founder and board member 2016-2021; Dayton Art Institute board member, 2014-2021; Learn to Earn board member, 2014-2020; Dayton Chamber of Commerce board member, 2014-2021.
Why are you seeking elected office? When you’re a mayor, you don’t have the luxury of saying, “That’s not my problem.” For the last eight years, I had the honor of serving as the mayor of Dayton. When I came into office, it’s safe to say our city was at a low point. But in Ohio we don’t look away from tough problems — we take action. During my time as mayor, we brought folks together to tackle the challenges facing us. Through it all, we grew stronger. I believe what Ohio needs is this same can-do spirit to turn around our state and give every family the opportunity to thrive.
Why should voters elect you? I’m running for governor because I believe Ohio deserves better. For essentially 30 years, we’ve had one party rule in our state and, during that time, we’ve watched as Ohio has fallen further and further behind. Our only path forward is a total overhaul — and that’s what I am proposing. My message is pretty simple: I want your pay to go up, your bills to go down, and your government to work for you. That includes raising wages for all Ohioans and investing in the clean energy jobs of the future; creating a universal, high quality preschool program like we did in Dayton; and repealing House Bill 6 so that we can restore public trust. This is how we make Ohio a place where one good job is enough, where every community is safe and healthy, and where your kids and grandkids have real opportunities.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? 1. Clean up corruption in our state government 2. Raise wages for all Ohioans 3. Make Ohio more affordable for working families
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? To make Ohio a place we can all be proud of, we must restore trust in our government. Despite facing a $60 million bribery scheme, we have seen no effort at reform. I’ll create a Public Accountability Commission to investigate corruption, invest in agencies tasked with enforcing ethics, and close dark money loopholes. My full plan to address the HB 6 scandal and return a code of ethics to our state government is at nanwhaley.com/ethics. As governor, I’ll fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, invest in small businesses, only give incentives to companies that support workers and prioritize clean energy jobs. This is how we make Ohio a place where every family can thrive. My full plan is at nanwhaley.com/jobs. In Dayton, we passed universal preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old — if we can do it here, we can do it across Ohio. I will also invest in making community colleges and trade schools more affordable so our kids can get the skills they need to get ahead.
Anything else you would like voters to know? Ohio is at a crossroads. We can continue to fall further behind, or we can chart a new path forward. I’m ready to get to work to turn our state around and make sure that everyone, no matter their zip code, has a real shot at opportunity. I hope you’ll join me.