Gov. Mike DeWine tours Wayne County Fair, touts agricultural features

Bryce Buyakie, The Daily Record
·2 min read
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Gov. Mike DeWine accepts a Lerch's Donut from Diane Johnson at the Wayne County Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.
Gov. Mike DeWine accepts a Lerch's Donut from Diane Johnson at the Wayne County Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.
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WOOSTER − Gov. Mike DeWine walked through the Wayne County Fair Tuesday morning flanked by public relations staffers when Diane Johnson approached him with a box from Lerch's.

"Would you like a doughnut?" she asked the governor.

Without hesitation, he leaned over, picked up a plain doughnut and took a bite.

More on the fair:Wayne County Fair: Celebrating high school marching bands in annual joint concert

"Oh yeah!" DeWine exclaimed.

"It was delicious, fresh and tasted wonderful," he said about the locally made doughnut from the Wooster business. "It was good."

DeWine's last-minute stop at the Wayne County Fair is part of his campaign tour throughout Ohio. The Republican incumbent holds a commanding lead over his Democratic challenger Nan Whaley, according to a new USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll.

What was supposed to be a 30- to 45-minute meet-and-greet turned into an hour-and-a-half tour before he left for Youngstown.

County fair brings back memories

Gov. Mike DeWine talks with 4-H student Mia Snyder at the Wayne County Fair.
Gov. Mike DeWine talks with 4-H student Mia Snyder at the Wayne County Fair.

The tour took DeWine through the Event Center and toward the swine barn, eventually ending at the goat showroom. Throughout his walk, he shook hands and spoke to 4-H kids about their animals.

While DeWine never directly participated in 4-H, he said, his wife and their eight children did.

Winners:Wayne County 4-H highlights award winners

"We counted it up and it was something like 33 straight years of kids in 4-H," he said after the tour. "(The fair) has brought back memories."

He said he hopes to visit more fairs in the coming weeks, and is happy to visit the Wayne County Fair.

"There's no better agriculture fair than in Wayne County," he said.

A campaign for re-election

At the Wayne County Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, Gov. Mike DeWine poses for a photo with this year's fair queen, Morgan Vodika, and Ron Grosjean.
At the Wayne County Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, Gov. Mike DeWine poses for a photo with this year's fair queen, Morgan Vodika, and Ron Grosjean.

The 75-year-old DeWine, who is seeking a second term, spoke to kids and parents, asking them about their concerns in general and about the state of farming in the region.

Among the issues on his radar is the bird flu outbreaks in Ashland and Defiance counties, which he said have been contained and are not something he is overly concerned about.

Endorsement:Ex-President Donald Trump endorses Gov. Mike DeWine

Gov. Mike DeWine toured the 4-H building at the Wayne County Fair on Tuesday.
Gov. Mike DeWine toured the 4-H building at the Wayne County Fair on Tuesday.

Last week, former President Donald Trump endorsed DeWine, who also received a Trump endorsement in the primary election in the spring.

"Mike DeWine and Jon Husted truly deserve my Complete and Total Endorsement, AND THEY’VE GOT IT — they will never let you down!" Trump wrote in a statement released by his Save America PAC.

DeWine seemed to take the endorsement in stride Tuesday at the fair.

"We are happy to get an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, but we have also enjoyed many other endorsements, including the Fraternal Order of Police."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Gov. Mike DeWine visits Wayne County Fair while campaigning