Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced Tuesday that he not seek the Democratic Party nomination to run for governor in 2014.

Strickland had served as governor for 4 years before he lost a re-election bid to Gov. John Kasich in November 2010.

Cuyahoga County Ed FitzGerald is among a few Democrats who have been mentioned as potential gubernatorial candidates and Strickland’s decision likely paves the way for him to make a decision to run.

Strickland, who served as a campaign surrogate during President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and may eventually find a position in the president’s administration, released a lengthy statement to announce his decision:

“In many ways, this has been a very difficult decision. I look back fondly on my time as Ohio’s 68th Governor and am proud of my Administration’s efforts to guide our state through the greatest national economic crisis since the Great Depression. With the help of my First Lady — Frances Strickland — my dedicated and loyal Cabinet, and my incredibly hard-working Executive Staff, we held the ship steady. With the help of President Obama, who provided the funds necessary to keep Ohio and all of America from slipping into another Great Depression, we were able to preserve the social safety net, make important investments in education, and position Ohio’s economy for the recovery that started in February 2010.

“And when I look back on my four years as Governor, I am equally proud of those in the Strickland Administration who served the public with honor, integrity, and humility. We sought to make Ohio better.

“My administration was about positioning Ohio as a leader in our rapidly changing economy and global world. We worked to rebuild our infrastructure with a special effort to make sure the national system for rail transportation included Ohio. We worked to ensure there were more Ohioans with affordable health care coverage. We significantly improved our national standing in public education, made sure it did not suffer from deep cuts during the economic crises, and worked to satisfy the Supreme Court’s ruling for equitable funding with a new formula that was less dependent on property taxes. We enacted a comprehensive energy reform bill that helped to stabilize the energy market for consumers and business while creating a renewable portfolio standard that has positioned Ohio as a leader in advanced energy. And, we made college more affordable. Most significant for jobs, we were leaders in investments in alternatives sources of energy and went to bat for the automobile industry; working closely with President Obama on the rescue plan that has been so pivotal in Ohio’s economic recovery.

“In short, I believe my Administration stood and spoke for the causes that count.

“Frances and I will continue to be politically active private citizens. We will continue to stand with working men and women to build a stronger Ohio ---and to defeat anti-worker and anti-middle class legislation that may arise.”


Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett said in a statement that whoever decides to challenge Kasich’s record on job growth should think twice.

“Ohio has made giant leaps in progress in two short years under John Kasich and it will be hard for any Democrat to argue why he shouldn’t continue to create jobs for hardworking Ohio families and put Ohio back on the right track," Bennett said


John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Last week the Ohio Historical Society compiled some fun facts about Ohio governors in advance of Gov. John Kasich's inauguration. There are some pretty neat facts about the people who have served as the leader of Ohio, how long they served, where they lived and more. It's interesting to learn information about the namesakes for Ohio buildings, cities, landmarks and more.


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

The first debate between Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Republican challenger John Kasich tonight should prove to be quite interesting.

The event will be shown at 8 p.m. on Ohio News Network or on the Web: www.ONNtv.com

Strickland will likely allude to Kasich’s time spent working for Lehman Brothers and try to paint him as an out-of-touch Wall Street executive.

He also may try to blame Republicans and former President George W. Bush’s economic policies that led the country and not just Ohio into recession.

Strickland might also talk about school funding and his plan approved last year by the Ohio General Assembly.

Kasich will undoubtedly focus on Ohio’s unemployment rate and the number of jobs lost during the past four years.

He also is likely to blame Democrats and President Obama’s administration for their handling of the nation’s economy.

The challenger also will be making his first appearance to many potential voters, so he needs to appear as if he is calm, but in charge with fresh ideas.

-- John Arthur Hutchison, JHutchison@News-Herald.com

After Gov. Ted Strickland's appearance Saturday in Mentor, Lake County Republican Party Chairman Dale Fellows had this to say:

"Governor Strickland needs to move out of the way and let John Kasich, a dynamic visionary, lead the state of Ohio back to the greatness it once was," Fellows said. "Strickland correctly identified the most important issues facing Ohio, economic development and job creation, however, he and his Development Director, Lee Fisher, have led our state to economic disaster with over 400,000 jobs lost, century-old businesses leaving Ohio, and increased poverty. January can’t come soon enough for Ohioans and Ohio businesses."

Strickland also talked about providing "a high quality education for our kids," Fellows said.

"This is the same Ted Strickland who basically said when he was running for Governor in 2006 that if he can’t solve school funding as Governor he shouldn't be re-elected. Well Governor, you should not be re-elected for many reasons," the GOP chairman said.

-- John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com