Ohio governor candidate Nan Whaley makes Canton campaign stop, wows local Dems

CANTON ‒ Nan Whaley was in town Thursday night.

Of course, that was no secret to anyone who happened to drive the section of Interstate 77 next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The name of the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor was plastered in bright lights on the two giant video screens at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

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Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Samuel J. Ferruccio Jr. said the screens were rented for its fourth annual Chairman’s Club dinner ― held in the upper level of the facility.

The 46-year-old Whaley, a former two-term Dayton mayor, dropped in to address the friendly crowd. She'd been in Columbus earlier in the day, then was headed to Lima for an event Friday on the campaign trail against Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.

Whaley spoke to The Repository for a few minutes, before heading inside to meet, greet and prepare for her speech.

She spoke highly of Canton Mayor Tom Bernabei. A pro-choice believer on abortion, Whaley said she's encouraged by anecdotal reports of an increased number of women registering to vote. And she's skeptical of data that shows DeWine with as much as a 23-point lead in a Spectrum News/Siena College Poll, released last week.

"We see polls all over the place ... all over the map," Whaley said.

What Nan Whaley said during Canton stop

Inside, she scored touchdowns with the crowd on issues such as abortion, cleaning up corruption, fighting opioids, and economic development.

She noted she was 10 months old when the now 75-year-old DeWine first won public office as Greene County prosecutor in 1976 — he later served stints as a lieutenant governor, attorney general, state senator, congressman and U.S. Senator.

During those four-plus decades, Whaley said, Ohio wages and exports of products have sunk.

"Today, we specialize in exporting our college grads," she said.

She chastised DeWine for introducing the Strong Ohio bill to strengthen gun laws, then not fighting to pass it. Even worse, she added, he signed laws, such as the "Constitutional Carry" bill, scrapping the need for a permit to carry concealed weapons.

"We want to normalize Ohio," Whaley said.

That would include getting Roe v. Wade on the ballot, to make it law. She pointed out 60% of Ohioans believe in a woman's right to choose.

"We are the majority ... we forget that," Whaley said.

She said voters must speak up.

"The governor's race is not gerrymandered; a vote is a vote," she said.

Ohio's voters will decide governor's race on Nov. 8

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday. Early voting for most people begins on Wednesday. Election day, for voting in person is on Nov. 8

Whaley told the crowd she's the working-class candidate, looking out for the masses.

She said not only is state government in need of a complete overhaul, but that polling also is broken. She asked them for an old-fashioned bit of assistance.

She suggested every person in the room speak about the governor's race with five people, who they normally don't discuss politics with, but who may hold similar beliefs. She said they are probably the people who hold their tongue when in the presence of a rabid Donald Trump supporter.

Those are the voters to reach, she said.

"I don't want you to talk to the Trump guy; he's gone," Whaley said.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 ortim.botos@cantonrep.com.On Twitter: @tbotosREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Nan Whaley, Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, stops in Canton