COLUMBUS — Mike DeWine had the last laugh at the polls May 8.
After months of enduring what at times seemed like a smear campaign by his Republican primary opponent Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, DeWine received 59 percent of the votes to advance to November’s general election against Democrat Richard Cordray, who easily won his party’s nomination.
Unofficial results as of press time show DeWine getting 478,116 votes, while Taylor received 321,191.
“Tonight’s victory is a culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people,” DeWine said. “It’s also a recognition by the voters in the State of Ohio that the DeWine-Husted ticket is what ohio wants. We are the ticket with bold and visionary policies. We are the ticket that has led by example.”
During a heated campaign, Taylor referred to the Greene County resident as DC Dewine, an obvious slam on his long career as a politician, including around 20 years spent in Washington. Taylor even made reference to DeWine’s wife, Fran, in some of her propeganda.
DeWine answered each attack with one of his own, challenging Taylor’s credentials and work ethic. At one point, DeWine’s campaign issued a cease and desist letter to Ohio TV stations showing a particular advertisement they claimed contained “a series of deliberate falsehoods about Mike DeWine and his record of public service” including supporting taxpayer-funded benefits for illegals, and giving illegal immigrants driver’s licenses.
In the Democratic primary Cordray had more votes than the other five candidates combined. As of press time, he had 398,758 votes, while Dennis Kucinich had 142,883.
Cordray and DeWine have faced off in the general election before, with DeWine beating Cordray in 2010. Cordray was the incumbent, winning a special election in 2008 to fill the expired term of Nancy Hardin Rogers. DeWine won that election 1,821,414-1,772,728.
“My promise to you tonight is as governor of the State of Ohio, I will not waste one minute,” DeWine said. “I will not waste one day. There will be a sense of urgency in everything John and I do. We both have prepared our lives for this moment. John and I are just getting started. Wait until you see what we can do in the governor’s office.
