By Scott Halasz
XENIA — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is running for governor in 2018.
The Cedarville resident would not confirm it, but WDTN reported that he made the comments while touring Summit Academy in Dayton.
“I’m not going to make any official announcement today,” he said via phone. “(But) I think it’s no secret that I’m very interested in running. I think it’s no secret what my intentions are.”
DeWine, attorney general since 2011, said the upcoming election is “too important” and any official announcement about his future plans would come after the election.
“I think it’s unfair to really be talking about a race that’s over two years away,” he said. “The race that people should be focusing on now is the race for the White House, the race for the U.S. Senate. We’ve got legislative races. We’ve got Ohio Supreme Court.”
DeWine, 69, started his career in public service in the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, when he was an assistant prosecutor. He was elected prosecutor in 1976. DeWine then served as an Ohio State Senator, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, as Ohio Lieutenant Governor, and as a U.S. Senator.
In each of the offices he has held, he has focused particular attention on efforts to protect children, ranging from making sure the prescriptions kids take are safe and effective to helping foster children get into permanent, stable, loving homes, according to the biography on his official website. He has been a leading proponent for highway safety and has been a staunch advocate for victims of crime.
