Sen. Schiavoni pledges support for fellow Democrat Cordray
A united front as Democrats throw their support behind candidate for governor Richard Cordray and his running mate Betty Sutton.
VIENNA TWP., Ohio - A united front as Democrats throw their support behind candidate for governor Richard Cordray and his running mate Betty Sutton.
Among the supporters, one of his former competitors during the primary.
Senator and former candidate for Ohio Governor Joe Schiavoni told a crowd of community leaders that he's now supporting Richard Cordray because they share the same views on all the issues important to the Mahoning Valley and Ohio.
"You know, there's no time in politics to cry about wins and losses. You know I'm not that kind of person. You know you've got to suck it up and support the best candidate in this race, and the best candidate, in my opinion, is Rich Cordray," said Senator Schiavoni.
The Senator also reminded Cordray and Sutton how important it is that they not only come to the Mahoning Valley during election season but when the people here need them most.
Candidate for lieutenant governor, Betty Sutton, told the crowd, "We know how important the Valley is going to be in our success in November, and even more importantly, we know how valuable and appreciated the Mahoning Valley should be each and every day. It is critical to the strength of our state. And we know that the well-being of the communities and the people of the Mahoning Valley are important all of the time, not just at election time."
Congressman Tim Ryan also threw his support behind Cordray and Sutton saying there's a quiet revolution happening in this country, accusing Republicans of wanting to dismantle unions and "Right to Work."
"So we need to start electing leaders first and foremost who aren't afraid to say the word 'union.' Union," said Congressman Ryan.
That statement received applause from the large crowd of Cordray supporters.
When it was candidate Cordray's turn to speak he vowed that this will be the strongest labor ticket you've seen in Ohio, and he's focused on saving the auto industry, Ohio's infrastructure, and saving lives by creating task forces to fight the opioid epidemic.
However, he would begin by saving local governments and restoring local government funds.
"We can't solve problems in Ohio unless state and local governments work together well. They've been pitted against each other which really undermines our ability to solve problems like the opioid crisis, and they've been taking local government money to make the state government look good at the expense of fire and police and others in our communities," said Cordray.
Cordray also vows to stop corruption in state government, including a payday loan scandal that he says took advantage of the poor and disadvantaged in Ohio.
Cordray will take on the Republican candidate for governor and current Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.
Cordray has previously served as Ohio State Treasurer, the state's attorney general, as well as on the federal level as a consumer watchdog under President Barack Obama.
DeWine, meanwhile, is a longtime politician having previously served as state senator, congressman, lieutenant governor, state senator, and is currently the attorney general.
The race between Cordray and DeWine will be a rematch of their 2010 race for attorney general, in which DeWine beat out Cordray by a margin of just over one percent of the vote.
