Dayton Reporter

Two Democrats hoping to unseat Gov. Mike DeWine announced their running mate picks Wednesday. 

Former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley selected Toledo Sen. Teresa Fedor and former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley picked Cuyahoga County Council Vice President Cheryl Stephens.

Whaley and Cranley, longtime friends and Ohio Mayors Alliance founders, have become political foes in the 2022 primary, vying for a chance to unseat DeWine. Whaley launched a bid for governor last April and Cranley officially entered the gubernatorial race in August.

During their mid-year fundraising hauls, both Democrats reported more than $1 million on hand. Their sums paled in comparison to DeWine's $6.6 million, though the campaign still owes DeWine $4 million in personal loans. The next campaign finance filing is due Jan. 31. 

But Whaley and Cranley never considered pooling resources.  

"We feel really confident in the primary and in the general," said Whaley, adding that "it would make a lot of sense" for Cranley to consider a down-ticket race. A Cranley spokeswoman said the former Cincinnati mayor is only interested in the top of the ticket.

Meanwhile, the two Democrats are pitching different visions for Ohio. Whaley has campaigned on rooting out GOP corruption, defending abortion access and offering universal pre-kindergarten, among other policies. 

More: Should Ohioans have access to universal pre-K? Democrats pitch investment in kids

Cranley has pitched a plan to create 30,000 jobs per year that pay a minimum of $60,000, in part by taxing recreational marijuana. He also wants to create an annual energy dividend of $500 for families earning less than $75,000 a year. 

More: Ohio governor's race: Democrat John Cranley pledges to fire state utility regulators

The winner of the Democratic primary on May 3 will face the GOP nominee: DeWine or one of his challengers, such as former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci or Canal Winchester's Joe Blystone.

Republicans immediately criticized the picks. Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Paduchik said in a statement that both candidates failed the cities they were elected to serve and championed "radical policies."

"Whaley and Cranley’s running mates have little chance of inspiring working families who have borne the brunt of Democrats’ mounting crime crisis and record of failure," Republican National Committee spokesman Dan Lusheck said. 

Here's a look at the Democrats' picks for lieutenant governor:

Who is Cheryl Stephens?

Stephens, 63, of Cleveland Heights, is the current vice president of the Cuyahoga County Council, where she has served since 2018. She represents Bratenahl, parts of Cleveland, East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and University Heights. 

“Cheryl is one of the smartest and hardest working people I know in Ohio politics,” Whaley said. “She’s a workhorse, not a showhorse.”

Before that, she served as mayor and vice mayor of Cleveland Heights, where she pushed for an LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance. The municipality was under a city manager system at the time so its residents did not elect Stephens as mayor.

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Stephens has a background in economic development, working for Cuyahoga County and Cleveland, and as president and CEO of the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation. She has a history of working with Republicans, including former Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich.

Born in Louisiana, Stephens lived in multiple places across the globe as the child of a U.S. Air Force mechanic. She received a master's degree in public administration from the University of Dayton, which is also Whaley's alma mater. 

Stephens said she was excited about joining Whaley's ticket because of the opportunity to improve access to health, education and housing – areas hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"If we're not helping the average Ohio family, we're not serving them well and that's my problem with some of the most recent administrations," she said. 

Cranley also said he respects Stephens and enjoyed working with her at the Ohio Mayors Alliance. 

Together, they form the first all-female gubernatorial ticket in Ohio history.

Who is Teresa Fedor?

Fedor, 65, of Toledo, has served in the Ohio Legislature since 2001, leading Senate Democrats for about a year. Fedor has worked across the political aisle to combat human trafficking.

A U.S. Air Force and Ohio Air National Guard veteran, Fedor also worked as a teacher at Toledo Public Schools for 16 years. As a legislator, she has advocated for public education and fought against private school vouchers. 

Fedor, a University of Toledo graduate, has also advocated for access to abortion, sharing a deeply personal story on the House floor during debates over the so-called heartbeat bill. Prominent feminist Gloria Steinem endorsed the Cranley-Fedor ticket Wednesday morning.

In 2019, Fedor voted for House Bill 6, a controversial $1 billion bailout for two nuclear plants in northern Ohio then-owned by FirstEnergy Solutions. The FBI later arrested former House Speaker Larry Householder and several others in connection with a bribery scheme to pass and defend House Bill 6. 

Cranley has decried House Bill 6 – both the legislation and the corruption investigation that came from it. Fedor said Wednesday that she voted for House Bill 6 to protect jobs in her district but would not have done so if she knew about the corruption probe that followed. In the time since Householder's arrest, she has pushed for campaign finance reform. 

Whaley praised Fedor's work to stem human trafficking but criticized Fedor's vote on the nuclear bailout. 

"It's problematic that someone would put someone who voted for House Bill 6 on their ticket," Whaley said. 

Original source can be found here.