The Ohio Republican Party released a new ad, which targets Democrat gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley’s record on crime as mayor of Dayton.

According to the organization, residents of the city became less safe during her first six years as mayor: violent crime increased 23 percent, homicides jumped 70 percent, and aggravated assaults spiked by 97 percent.

“Under Nan Whaley’s leadership, crime surged in Dayton. Mayor Nan Whaley’s answer: defunding the police and cancelling the city policy academy,” the 30-second ad says. “Homicides increased by 70 percent in Whaley’s first six years as mayor, making Dayton one of the least safe cities in the entire nation. Nan Whaley is too radical for Ohio. Whaley failed Dayton and would make Ohio less safe.”

In addition to the video, the GOP group has launched a website entitled The Real Nan Whaley, which targets the candidate’s record on public safety and taxes

“Just because Nan Whaley let down Dayton does not mean she should now be allowed to fail the State of Ohio, and this website will serve as a valuable resource to voters who may not yet know her disastrous record of far-left leadership,” said ORP Spokesman Dan Lusheck

Governor Mike DeWine has routinely offered grants to state and local law enforcement agencies in order to improve public safety. In the latest round, DeWine said that violent crime “not only impacts public safety but also quality of life, and I am committed to doing all we can to protect Ohio’s citizens from violence.”

In total, DeWine and the Ohio legislature committed $250 million to law enforcement efforts in December.

The Democrat and DeWine will face each other in the November election. The winner will serve a four-year term.

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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nan Whaley” by Ohio Republicans.