Republican Mike DeWine won a key endorsement Monday from the other side of the aisle.
State Rep. Bill Patmon (D-10) of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, announced his endorsement of DeWine for Ohio governor.
“I’ve worked with Mike DeWine over the last eight years as a State Representative. He has come to Cleveland many times to help with the housing crisis, drug crisis, and police and community relations,” said Patmon in a statement.
DeWine, the current state attorney general, is running against Democrat Richard Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general and federal bureaucrat in the Obama administration.
In this era of hyper partisanship, it’s rare for a Democrat to endorse a Republican in a high-profile race. But trust matters, said Patterson.
Based on a longstanding working relationship, Patmon said he trusts DeWine. That’s because he’s seen him “on the ground” in Cuyahoga County in both good times and bad.
“I trust Mike DeWine, and voters should too,” he said. “He’s been on the ground in Ohio for some of the best times this state has ever seen. I’ve always been impressed by his ability to bring people together to solve problems. For these and many other reasons I lend my wholehearted support to Mike DeWine for governor.”
Patmon has served in the Ohio House of Representatives since 2011. He also served as a member of Cleveland City Council for 12 years.
Polls show DeWine and Cordray running neck and neck, with DeWine holding a slight edge leading up to Election Day, which is four weeks away on Nov. 6.
The two gubernatorial candidates will hold their third and final debate Monday at 7 p.m. at Cleveland State University. You can watch the debate via livestream at the Ohio Debate Commission website.
DeWine said he’s honored to have the endorsement of a man he described as high integrity.
“I’m grateful to receive the support of my friend Bill Patmon, who is a man of great integrity and deeply committed to improving the lives of his constituents through commonsense solutions,” said Attorney General Mike DeWine. “As we continue to expand our ground operation leading up to the November election, I am thrilled to have his expertise and support on our side.”
– – –
Anthony Accardi is a writer and reporter for The Ohio Star.
