Betty Sutton to run for Ohio governor

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton will enter the race for Ohio governor today, giving Democrats a second confirmed candidate in as many weeks.

"I spent my life standing up for working families -- the laborers, the firefighters, the teachers," Sutton, a former labor lawyer who lives in Copley, said in a telephone interview. "I want to be the governor who stands up to the powerful interests {on behalf of} working people."

Sutton, 53, has moved into campaign mode aggressively. Two months ago she was in her final days as administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., a federal job that prevented her from engaging in politics. She left the post with the changeover to a Republican administration and quickly began meeting with party activists about a gubernatorial bid.

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With Sutton's entry, Democrats now have two announced candidates for governor. The first, Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni, jumped into the race last week, after U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a fellow Youngstown-area Democrat, ruled out a run. The list of other Democratic possibilities is long, with former State Rep. Connie Pillich of the Cincinnati area, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and former Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams among those considering a run.

Democratic insiders believe Sutton or Whaley can emerge as a top tier contender, especially if Richard Cordray remains unavailable. The former Ohio attorney general now serves as director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress hope to dismantle. Cordray is seen by many as the party's best option for governor. But he is unlikely to ditch his job -- as was the case with Sutton, he cannot campaign for elected office while serving in a federal role -- amid such uncertainty.

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