Nan Whaley
Residence: Dayton
Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: Former President of the US Conference of Mayors; Founder of the Ohio Mayors Alliance
Education: BA, Chemistry, University of Dayton; MPA, Wright State University
Employment: Former Mayor of Dayton
Why are you seeking elected office: 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. We need a governor and a government that is looking out for Ohio families, not special interests.
Every Ohioan deserves the dignity of work — a job that provides opportunity for you and your family, regardless of your zip code. You should be free to have a safe workplace, receive affordable health care, and be treated with respect. 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.
Why should voters elect you: Ohio voters are looking for bold, new leadership. People are tired of the status quo and the politicians who have allowed Ohio to fall behind.
The fact is, our current leaders are out of step with the rest of us. They’re focused on banning abortion - without exceptions - and giving corporate bailouts to campaign donors. We deserve better. As governor, I’ll be focused every day on what working families in our state need to succeed. That in includes raising wages, lowering costs, and keeping abortion safe and legal. Just like I did as mayor of Dayton, I’ll work with anyone - Democratic or Republican - to get the job done and make our state a place we can all be proud of.
If we come together and demand better from our elected officials, we can make sure that every family can thrive and that our kids and grandkids can find real opportunities close to home.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? First, I’ll fight to raise wages. I grew up in a working class, union household, so this issue is personal for me. One good job should be enough no matter where you live in our state. But for too many Ohioans, that just isn’t the case. Our answer for young people looking for opportunities can’t just be, “move to Columbus” - we need to invest in good jobs everywhere.
Second, I’m going to stop intrusive government mandates against a woman’s right to make private health care decisions. . Thanks to Gov. Mike DeWine’s cruel abortion ban, we’ve already seen awful stories of 10 year old rape survivors and cancer patients having to leave Ohio for the care they need. As governor, I’ll work to restore and protect safe and legal abortion in our state.
Third, I’ll take real action to lower costs for middle class families. As I travel around Ohio, I hear from families who are struggling with inflation. But we’ve seen no real action from Gov. Mike DeWine on this issue. He’s focused on scoring political points - I’ll be focused on real action.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? To raise wages, my One Good Job Pledge will invest in apprenticeship readiness programs so that we can train 17,000 new workers to rebuild our state. These are good jobs in every corner of Ohio that pay a good wage and can’t be outsourced. I’ll also raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and support the clean energy jobs of the future that the current administration has ignored.
To protect abortion access in Ohio, I’ll lead a statewide ballot initiative to put the protections of Roe v. Wade in the Ohio Constitution so that abortion stays safe and legal. I know that Ohio is a pro-choice state, so it is time we take this issue directly to voters and stop these extremist government mandates.
To reduce costs, we’ll send every middle class Ohio an inflation rebate of $350 to help offset rising costs. We also must do more to make sure that no one has to choose between keeping food on the table and paying for their medicine. I’ll fine drug companies that unfairly raise prices and cap the cost of insulin at $30 a month.
Anything else you would like voters to know? If you believe that abortion should be safe and legal, I need your support. Abortion is on the ballot this November: Gov. Mike DeWine has said he will go as far as possible to fully ban abortion in our state. In Mike DeWine’s Ohio, doctors will be prosecuted, your medical records could be subpoenaed, and women will die. Our state will struggle to attract and retain residents as women avoid our state and live in places where they have more rights. Businesses will go to other states where they can attract better talent.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Ohio deserves better. This November we can come together and demand better.
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Mike DeWine
No response