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We conclude a series of conversations with the major party candidates for statewide office, with two shows featuring the contenders for governor.

This week, Democratic candidate Nan Whaley on the state of Ohio Welcome to the state of Ohio.

I'm Karen Kasler.

We're at the end of our series of interviews we do every four years conversations with the candidates, specifically the ten major party candidates for the five statewide executive offices of secretary of state, attorney general auditor treasurer.

And this week, the first of two extended interviews with the candidates for governor.

This week, Nan Whaley, she was a Dayton city commissioner before being elected mayor of Dayton in 2014.

She served in that office until the end of last year.

Whaley briefly ran for governor four years ago, but dropped out and endorsed Richard Cordray.

Lost to Mike DeWine by 3.7% or around 164,000 votes.

When Whaley won the Democratic primary in May, she became the first woman to win a major party nomination for governor of Ohio.

She and her running mate, Cheryl Stevens, are the first all women ticket for governor and lieutenant governor in state history.

So why do you want to be governor?

Well, look, I love being mayor.

It was a great job.

I was mayor for eight years, president of the United States Conference of Mayors.

So the mayors across the country chose me as their leader.

We were able to get great work done, like passing our funding to local communities, which you see them doing great work with today across Ohio.

Passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, something we waited eight years for to get done.

And my entire time as mayor.

So I love that work.

And there's a job you have to you get to be visionary about where you want your community to go.

But at the same time, you have to plow the snow and fill the potholes or they will kick your tail out of office.

Right.

So you have to do both at the same time.

And as I looked across the state, I saw local leaders, both Democrat and Republican, doing their level best to move their communities forward.

But frankly, they don't have a partner at the state House or in the governor's office.

And I remember talking to some of them about deciding to run.

And I said, listen, we can continue to manage the hits that we can continue to get from the statehouse.

And this week, Governor, or we can go and work to take the state house and take the governor's seat.

So we have a true partner to grow our communities.

Keep in mind, the only region in this entire state that's growing is the Columbus Metro.

And it has a lot to do with the fact that there's just no partnership at the governor's office with local communities.

And so you see that, you know, pretty front and center when you're a mayor.

I want to get back to the economic issues that you're hinting at there.

But I want to start with the idea that you've built a lot of your campaign around the issue of abortion.

In the last three polls, though, the Marist poll, Siena College and Emerson abortion polled between 16 and 20%.

The economy was the top issue and threats to democracy were actually second issues.

So why focus on an issue that's polling so much lower than those other two?

Well, look, I think the polling is broken.

I really do like we see examples over and over again around Kansas, for example, where it was too close to call and they won by 19 points.

Right.

So I don't think you're really getting the entire electorate when you're talking about these issues.

And I can tell you that the number of voter edge men to women in this state is second only to Kansas, with not much organizing in the state just organically happening.

We're seeing enormous numbers of absentee ballot requests and we're seeing that a right was taken away.

First time in my life that any group of people have lost a right in this country and you have a governor that believes in that right being taken away as well.

And frankly, it is so out of step about what Ohioans believe because this is a common sense state.

It's a pro-choice state.

The majority of the state believes there should be some sort of access to abortion like.

82% of the state.

So there's a big opportunity there because of what's at stake for women in this in this state, because of Mike DeWine's position.

Have you talked or thought about broadening the issue to things like birth control, IVF, same sex marriage, the right to privacy?

I mean, same sex marriage would be illegal if that if Obergefell that decision was correct in Ohio, Yeah.

I mean, we make that point as well.

I mean, I think, you know, this is the thing about abortion is it is an economic issue.

It is a health care issue.

It's a rights issue.

So it really does fall and all of those things, you know.

You know, we talk a lot, frankly, if you're 22 40 years old and a woman and you have a choice about whether to live in Ohio, or not live in Ohio, you're going to choose not to live here because you're not going to be able to get access to the health care you need.

Pregnancy is tough and you're not your at your doctor's not going to be able to give you all of your options.

I mean, we've seen examples in Dayton, for example, a woman that wanted to carry the pregnancy to term finds out she has cancer, has to go across state lines, lines to terminate the pregnancy.

These are everyday occurrences that OB-GYNs are seeing.

Secondly, I talked to medical students all across the state and they're like, no, I don't want to practice here because I'm not going to get the training that I need going to a college in Ohio now and I'm not going to be able to provide my patients with the care they need and deserve.

That is what's at stake here.

When we talk about this issue, it's not just, you know, women, the rights issue and the freedom issue, which is really a big deal, but it's also a workforce issue.

It's a health care issue, and it touches everyone's lives in very unique ways.

And for that to be ripped out of women's hands.

So quickly, we need to take some action in this.

And the state Supreme Court has said it's a state issue.

Fine.

Let's put it on the ballot.

We know it's a pro-choice state, codify it, put it in the Ohio Constitution.

So we all have the same rights we had back on June 23rd.

I want to talk to you about that.

A potential ballot issue.

There's been some talk about some sort of a constitutional amendment that would go before voters.

You, if you were elected, would be a pro-choice governor in an anti-abortion state.

And well, I mean, you I think it's a pro-choice state.

It's been just like it's been I mean, yes, we have an illegitimate state legislature that doesn't follow the will of the people, nor are these lines that are drawn that have been viewed a constitution unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

I mean, really, what you're seeing is a crisis in democracy in this state over and over again.

So, yes, the people agree with me.

It's not surprising the legislature is completely out of step with what would you be able to do, though, in terms of you would be up against a legislature, which, if you were elected, could potentially pass a total abortion ban before you would even take office?

What could you do?

Well, look, I think the power of the governor and we don't see this because Mike DeWine is so weak is a very powerful position.

And the power that it has particularly is the work that it can do in the bully pulpit.

With the will of the people.

So, yeah, we'll take it to the ballot, you know, and move right around the state legislature.

They know it will pass.

It's a 60 plus percent pro-choice state, just on the question of Roe.

And it's common sense, right?

I mean, this just makes a lot of sense.

It's nothing extreme.

And this is where the majority of Ohioans are.

So, you know, when you have a legislature that is illegitimate, that is unconstitutional, you have as governor have to work with the people.

And that's really the job in the role.

It's something I feel very comfortable with.

It's what you do as mayor all the time.

And, you know, that will be the way that we get things through.

Until we can have fair maps in this state on a ballot issue, you'd have to bring together people who support abortion access, but who have different lines of where that would be.

Where is your line?

What would you be championing?

Well, look, I just want to codify Roe.

You know, I want to have the the the freedom that we had on June 23rd.

Again, though, there were people and groups that were unhappy with that.

What we had before Dobbs was decided.

But I've been very clear about this, like Roe is the law of the land.

We should make sure we should have Roe in the state, in Ohio, women deserve that.

Another issue that you'd have to find some common ground on our work around here is gun legislation.

You've been very open about some of the things that you'd like to see reversed in the legislature, which has been expanding access to gun rights and that sort of thing.

How could you deliver on a promise to say, roll back some things like the permit was concealed carry law or the law that would allow teachers to be armed in schools?

Yes.

Look, the first two years are going to be really tough.

You know, you again, you have an illegitimate state legislature in unconstitutional districts.

But the governor also gets to serve on the redistricting commission.

And the redistricting commission will meet again.

And frankly, we'll get fair maps if if I'm elected governor, we won't get four maps.

If Mike DeWine is elected, he's shown what he would do.

He'll completely fall to the extremists and radicals almost be called into contempt of court.

Questionable.

If his son wasn't on the Supreme Court, he wouldn't have been called in.

Right.

So we know what Mike DeWine is going to do.

He's going to continue to eat at democracy on redistricting.

We're not saying that.

I don't pretend to care and there's going to be a majority Democrat.

But I do think we'll have fair maps where decisions are made in general elections.

Rather than primary elections.

I am known to work with Republicans.

It's what mayors do.

I wanted to work with the governor on gun safety until he completely folded with the extremists in his party.

So the first two years, this isn't something we're going to get done, but we redraw and we have legislatures that are legitimate that speak with the will of the people.

We will get this done Nine out of ten Ohio Ohioans believe that we should have universal background checks.

That's an enormous number.

This is a huge Common-Sense answer.

We're not talking about responsible gun owners here.

We're talking about people that should never have them in their hands in the first place.

And I want my freedom back to be able to go to grocery store churches to eat dinner without having to be worried about a mass shooting.

On the redistricting commission you indeed would serve if you were elected, but you'd need at least one other Democrat from the Secretary of State or the auditor candidates to win, to have a majority on that panel or otherwise.

Wouldn't Republicans just continue to dominate the map drawing process because they're going to have to draw those maps again?

Hebert Karen, we know the party that wins the governor's seat typically wins one of the down ballots.

So, you know, most people don't know who the state treasurer is right now.

You can name him, I'm sure even many, many folks on TV can't.

And so whoever wins the governor's seat has a big opportunity to pick up another down ballot.

Let's talk about the economy here.

You have said that you want Ohioans pay to go up and their bills to go down.

What does that mean exactly?

Can you give me an example of something that you would do that would help Ohioans pay to go up and their bills to go down?

Yes.

So I'm really excited about our one good job pledge.

We announced it last month and it's really about making sure we grow jobs in the entire state, not just in the Columbus Metro.

You know, what it's about is a $65 million investment in apprenticeship readiness programs and then creating the pipeline that state construction jobs come with good union jobs that, you know, have a pension of benefits that could really create the middle class.

We think that this will create around 17,000 jobs in the first four years of my administration.

We know even before the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed, before the intel announcement, according to the state of Ohio, there are there will be 22,000 openings.

So we have got to do this work.

If we don't, those jobs will be filled filled by people from out of state.

So they'll come take our money and then go back and settle in some other place.

We want to make sure that if you're working and Chillicothe, you live in Chillicothe in that area to really grow the economy.

And this is a way that we can make sure that we're growing all across the state, good paying jobs that can provide for families.

So we're not just sucking everybody into Columbus.

That's what this one good job pledge is about.

I'm really excited.

It's pretty common sense.

It's not very complicated.

It's a way that we can really invest in communities across the state.

I also think we need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

We know the cost of what people working two jobs, not being able to make ends meet, still having to go to the food bank to provide for their families.

You know, look, it's an Ohioan.

If you work a job and you should get paid enough to be able to provide for your family.

That's why we work.

And we need to remember that.

And I think the state government needs to put their money where their mouth is on that work.

You talked about an inflation rebate in 350 and $700 for families to qualify.

Is that still something you are looking at?

You know, we talk about cost down so that's you know, how to get pay up to get costs down.

States like Florida and Indiana have done this.

So we're not talking like, you know, blue states for for example, $350 rebate.

That's coming from the federal money.

This money is coming anyway to the state.

So we can give relief to working families right now that are feeling the pinch of inflation, really stopping price gouging.

You know, Ohio's one of the few states in the country that it is still illegal for corporations to gouge consumers without any repercussions.

That's affecting us on prescription drugs, on utility cost, example after example.

The governor could do that right now with an executive order.

Still won't do it.

And then capping insulin rates at $30 a month.

The state of Kentucky has capped insulin rates.

Guarantee Kentucky can do it.

Ohio certainly can.

You mentioned Intel and that's of course, potentially the largest development project in Ohio history.

Governor Mike DeWine has been talking about it as a campaign selling point for him, while both Republicans and Democrats are trying to take some credit for that project.

There are also some people who are concerned, and you mentioned the concern about how it is central Ohio focused.

There are people in central Ohio who are worried about the environmental impacts, the cost of housing, that sort of thing.

What would you do potentially to change or work on this intel project if you were governor?

Look, I think everybody should be excited that this investment is coming.

It is something that the state has spent $2 billion on is the biggest amount of money we've ever put into any investment And we have very little details about the transparency of what we're getting in return.

You know, again, as mayor, we did all kinds of these these economic development opportunities but we were transparent with the public about this is what the city is putting in.

And in return, these are the jobs that you're going to get and this is how much the jobs are going to pay.

And that way, the community could decide, hey, is this a good deal for us or not?

With Intel, we have very little, if any, details about what we're getting for our $2 billion.

So that's a concern for me.

I can't I can't assess.

And certainly, you know, the media voters can assess if what we're getting is what we're putting in.

So I think that would be a big difference as just opening up the transparency on this deal, I think is really, really important.

Secondly, look, I mean, I want to make sure that every job over there is good paying and good union paying, frankly, not just who builds it, but who cleans the bathroom.

Knows who is in there.

We want to make sure that those jobs are jobs that can provide for a family.

Remember why we work.

We work to provide for our families.

And it's not about Intel's bottom line.

It's about Ohio family's bottom line.

And so we want to make sure that that happens.

Finally, we have got to do something about our workforce.

That's why the one good job plan is so important.

You know, look, I come from Dayton last month.

The front page of the Dayton Daily News said we can't find any workers in Dayton.

Do you know I care?

And they all moved to Columbus to go to Intel.

And that's why the other regions have got to be players in this, because they don't want to lose even more population to the Columbus Metro that that has been happening over the past two decades.

So these are the pieces that are so important to make sure that we're really getting everything we deserve out of the Intel deal.

The last thing I'll say about this is, you know, Mike DeWine loves to go to the ribbon cutting, but he is always scant on details.

You know, just ask the folks of what county that we're excited that they had a Peloton manufacturing facility coming with a promise of 2000 jobs.

Mike DeWine was all there for the big ribbon cutting when the jobs were announced, they weren't coming.

He's nowhere to be found.

And we see that an awful lot across the state.

Big announcements, no details.

And as governor, you'll get the details for me.

A lot of your plan with regard to jobs, addresses, investment.

You've got investment in free or discounted post-secondary education and universal pre-K and paid family leave and Appalachian Ohio and lower drug prices infrastructure, technology corridors, companies that pay a fair wage, targeted commercial corridors in cities, towns and villages and clean, efficient energy.

That's a lot of investment Where is all that money going to come from?

Well, a lot of it will come from the federal government.

You know, we're seeing this bipartisan infrastructure plan that says, okay, here's where the focus should be.

And really having a focused plan like, for example, broadband in all of southern Ohio, which I think is really, really important by 20, 28.

You know, a lot of these pieces that we can we can get done from the partnerships, they're some of it's from like, you know, the the job pledge we're talking about, you know, coming from workforce development and job family services to really direct that apprenticeship readiness money into this area.

So we have some opportunities there.

But the other point is, too, we recognize that right now under this administration, they've had this idea that if they gave lobbyists and lawyers a tax cut, which they affectionately call the lobbyist loophole, the first $250,000 of your income tax, if you're a lobbyist or a lawyer, you pay $0 I want lobbyists and lawyers to pay the same amount I pay and my family pays on income tax, just their fair share.

And I think that that will help us fund a lot of these efforts, too.

So you want to close that?

Absolutely.

It's unfair.

It's unfair.

I want I want lobbyists and lawyers to pay what I pay and what every other Ohioan pays.

And just because you happen to do business with this, this building doesn't mean you should get you should get a you know, pay for your income tax for those that and that's been that's been not done.

Well, I know you have the most corrupt state house in the country.

You know, No.

One, according to the FBI.

So, you know, they want to take care of those lobbyists and their friends.

I'm saying when we have a complete and total overhaul we'll be able to do what's right for Ohio families.

I want to talk about that.

You and other Democrats talked about cleaning up corruption in state government, using House bill sex, the nuclear bailout law.

As an example, the latest example latest the the issue of corruption in state government did not energize voters in 2020.

In fact Republican former speaker Larry Householder was reelected that year because he's an illegitimate district again.

Yeah but then also when you look back on court and even on the payday lending scandal voters were not energized by that issue.

How do you energize voters and get voters to to care about this?

Look, I think there are some voters that are appalled by it that they're paying every single month on their electric bill for $1,000,000,000 bailout.

That doesn't make any sense.

That has been ruled by you know, settled by the US government has, as you know, first energy has settled, saying, yes, we did wrong and now the nuclear part of that has been repealed.

But there are still every single month you're still paying for a piece of House Bill six.

So I think I think there are voters that are appalled by that.

But like look, this is about bigger than like whether voters care or not.

We should care as people that care about governing.

And frankly, we're not going to get to the issues that are really affecting working families like I just talked about.

You know, instead of taking care of lobbyists, actually taking care of working families.

We have to clean it up.

And that was why it the first thing I announced when I was running for governor, like this is what we would do, you know, a really dramatic policy that no one else has ever given what they should do.

I mean, Mike DeWine said up here when this announced and it absolutely nothing when the FBI called the Ohio State House the most corrupt in the state, said to you all that he was not state official one.

And who said it was not state official, do they are It has been proven that they are, and nobody's really answered for any of that.

And so, look, I think that's a real problem for our democracy.

Corruption anywhere, in any form is a big problem.

For people not believing that people are looking out for them.

And when you see it, you have to root it out because it's the way we keep the democracy intact.

So that's why I've called for putting together a public accountability commission so we can know what the inspector general and what the Ohio Ethics Commission is doing.

Fully funding them.

You know, they've had a 25% increase in referrals but they're still at the same funding level.

And we're not talking about a lot of money here, just making sure that we have good watchdogs that are fully funded, stopping the revolving door between corporations and government.

You can work for one or the other, but not work for both.

And then we have to get the legislature to put full disclosure in where the money's coming from in politics.

We don't.

We do those four things.

We can have a statehouse we can be proud of again.

But right now, even if people are making a decision on their voting or not, they're not proud of these guys and what the work they're doing.

Speaking of fundraising, your fundraising is far behind DeWine's.

You were in a contested primary, whereas DeWine didn't spend any money in his primary.

I just spent he spent a good amount.

He just has a lot more money.

He did have a lot more money.

Yes.

So how do you get this message out when you are so far behind in fundraising?

Look, I mean, it's not surprising he's the incumbent governor.

You know, I've already talked about this money that he gets that isn't disclosed.

We've seen it on TV already against us because he thinks the voters don't care about it, doesn't care about the fact that he has undisclosed donors and, you know, we're spreading our message in a grassroots way.

We're on TV.

We think we're you know, we have enough to be competitive and we see a groundswell of support particularly because he is so extreme and out of touch.

And so that that is an opportunity for us.

I would also point out, Karen, you got 48% of those primary vote.

So the excitement around Mike DeWine is nonexistent in this state.

We are a different kind of campaign with a different kind of candidate.

And we see that excitement in a way that I don't think I've ever really seen before.

So it's a pretty exciting time.

DeWine is endorsed by Trump, but he has not campaigned with him.

He did greet him when he came to the rally in Youngstown that he did last month.

Are you seeking President Biden's endorsement?

Would you want to be campaigning with him?

Look, if anybody wants to come to the state and talk about these issues that we're talking about, I'm going to campaign with them.

Because, you know, this is what is at stake for working families and the future of Ohio.

And so, yeah, we'll be.

We would we would campaign with anybody that agrees with these issues.

And we've said that before, too.

So you're not running away from President Biden?

No, look, look, I mean, as long as we're talking about the issues I want to talk about, which is about abortion, access, making sure we make our communities more safe and that we actually grow real jobs, not not just in the Columbus Metro.

Yeah, I think those are the issues that we want to talk about.

And real briefly, you won't be doing any debates with Governor DeWine.

Republicans have given a variety of reasons for that, but they will not be debating either in the Senate race or in this race, at least with the Ohio Debate Commission.

So you're doing your own series of debates without the debates.

Ohio deserves great.

How are these debates, though, if he's not there?

Look, I mean, we're going to be there and the community is going to be there.

The only person missing is Mike DeWine.

And I've said over and over again, well, I'll meet him anyplace any time because I want to talk about these issues and ideas it's very clear that Mike DeWine is afraid to debate us because he doesn't want people thinking about the issues that he is so out of step with Ohioans on.

He doesn't want to answer for the fact that his state official one in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history.

He doesn't want to answer why he thinks it's okay.

A ten year old should carry a pregnancy to term.

He doesn't want to answer the fact why he arm teachers with very little training over and over again.

We see him without a step ideas that he's not going to be able to answer.

And that's why he's not debating is he's thinking, well, if I just don't say anything, no one will know my position on those issues.

It is a terrible move for the democracy.

Anybody that decides not to debate and says that they care about the democracy is either a coward or a liar.

And this is a key core of really showing two candidates that have very different views.

He admits we don't have the same views on anything.

So let us have the conversation and air it out.

What does he really have to be afraid of?

A man that's been in office for 46 years against a two term mayor.

I mean, please.

Next week, our Conversations with the Candidate series concludes with Republican incumbent Governor Mike DeWine.

The voter registration deadline is next week, Tuesday, October 11th, with early voting starting the next day, Wednesday, October 12th.

And that is it for this week for my colleagues at the statehouse News Bureau of Ohio Public Radio and Television.

Thanks for watching.

Please check out our Web site at State Newstalk, where you can find our archive of all of these conversations with the candidates as well.

As Daily News and features.

And please follow us and the show on Facebook and Twitter.

And please join us next time for the state of Ohio.

Support for the statewide broadcast of the state of Ohio.

Comes from medical mutuel providing more than 1.4 million Ohioans peace of mind with a selection of health insurance plans online at med mutual dot com slash Ohio by the law offices of Porter Wright Morris and Arthur LLP.

Now with eight locations across the country, Porter Wright is a legal partner with a new perspective to the business community.

More at Porter right dot com and from the Ohio Education Association representing 124,000 members who work to inspire their students to think creatively and experience the joy of learning online at OHEA.org