The mayor of a prominent Ohio city Monday announced her endorsement of former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (D), who is running for governor.
“Hi, my name is Mayor Sharetta Smith, and I’m mayor of the great city of Lima, Ohio, and I’m here to offer my support and my endorsement of my great friend Nan Whaley, former mayor of Dayton, Ohio, in her bid to become Ohio’s next governor,” Mayor Sharetta Smith (D) said in a video. “I believe in Nan. I believe in her platform to help working families. She’s talked about how under her leadership, our wages will go up, and our bills will go down. Nan is also a former mayor, and no one knows better the issues facing our local families. She’s a hard worker. Her boots have been on the ground. She sees firsthand what’s happening with our families, and I believe Nan is the one for us – to go to Columbus and fight for us.”
Whaley is running against former mayor of Cincinnati John Cranley, who served in that capacity for eight years.
“Thank you, Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith for your support!” said Whaley of the endorsement. “Together, we can build a better Ohio. An Ohio where one job is enough to provide for your family. An Ohio where your kids have real opportunity. An Ohio where all of us – no matter our zip code – can thrive.”
Thank you, Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith for your support!
Together, we can build a better Ohio.
An Ohio where one job is enough to provide for your family.
An Ohio where your kids have real opportunity.
An Ohio where all of us — no matter our zip code — can thrive.#OHGov pic.twitter.com/1hJmSkRUTK
— Nan Whaley (@nanwhaley) April 18, 2022
Whaley also served two terms in her capacity as mayor of Dayton, totaling eight years.
“Now, Nan is running for governor because she knows our state is fundamentally broken and Ohioans deserve better,” according to her campaign website. “The same special interests and corrupt politicians have been in charge for 30 years as our state has fallen further behind. Rich campaign donors get rewarded while the rest of us fall further behind. The only answer is a total overhaul.”
A January Clarity Campaign’s Lab poll showed Whaley leading Cranley 48 percent to 33 percent, with 18 percent undecided.
The poll was conducted by phone between January 17 and January 19. It included 670 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3.79 percent.
Ohio’s primary election day is May 3.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nan Whaley” by Nan Whaley. Photo “Sharetta Smith” by Sharetta Smith. Background Photo “Ohio Statehouse” by 12019.
