Candidate: Mike DeWine

Political party: Republican

Background:

Background

Mike DeWine began his career as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Greene County and spent the past four years as Ohio’s attorney general. He has also served in the Ohio State Senate, House of Representatives, Senate and as Ohio Lieutenant Governor. “I spent years working hand-in-hand with law enforcement putting violent criminals, drug dealers and rapists behind bars,” DeWine said in a statement. “That experience taught me to talk to people and recognize problems; more importantly, it taught me how to solve problems.”

Why should I care?

DeWine’s top priority is protecting Ohio’s families. He created a Crimes Against Children Unit to help identify, arrest and convict sexual predators. He has increased training opportunities for law enforcement and educators to help improve school safety, human trafficking, child abuse, missing children, bullying and the needs of foster youth.  In addition to supporting anti-gun violence programs and community groups that work to repair Ohio communities, DeWine is working to rebuild Ohio’s neighborhoods and has invested $75 million from the national mortgage settlement to help demolish abandoned properties through the Moving Ohio Forward grant program. 

During his time in office, DeWine has decreased the turn-around times for DNA analysis at the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and had thousands of rape kits tested. He has been working on Ohio’s heroin and prescription drug abuse problem, and created a heroin unit within the office to combat the deadly effects. He launched an elder abuse initiative to pursue criminals who target the elderly.

Message for Kent State students:

“Over the last four years, there have been many issues I’ve tackled—untested rape kits, violence against women and children, the foster care system and the prescription pills and heroin epidemic. With each issue, my experience has enabled me be an effective leader, working with others to come up with a solution and execute it. Over the next four years, I will continue to build on the outstanding progress we’ve had with those issues as well as be on the lookout for new issues that affect all Ohioans. I’d be honored to have your support.”

Candidate: David Pepper

Political party: Democrat

Background:

Background

David Pepper served as Hamilton County Commissioner. He ran for state auditor in 2010, clerked for Nathaniel Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and worked for Cincinnati law firms Squire Sanders and Blank Rome. He teaches election and voting rights laws as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. 

Why should I care?

Pepper’s platform involves fighting for safe streets and job growth while cleaning up government and increasing transparency. He helped push to improve police-community relations, and he served as the Chairman of Law and Public Safety Committee for the City of Cincinnati. He played a role in negotiating a collaborative agreement between the police, community and City Hall, while adding police to the street and enacting tough measures on crime. 

Pepper and his colleagues enacted reforms and investments in economic and community development.

Pepper has created a five-step plan, called The Pepper Plan: A comprehensive approach to take on heroin addiction that includes treating the heroin epidemic as a public health crisis, drying up demand, saving lives and cracking down on supply and dealing. He plans to add transparency to the attorney general’s office and government across the state.

Message for Kent State students:

Pepper could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.