3 Republican primary candidates are challenging Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine

（单词翻译）

3 Republican primary candidates are challenging Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine

Transcript¹

Early in the pandemic, Ohio voters approved of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. As GOP opposition² to mandates⁴ grew, so did the opposition to the governor. Now he faces three primary challengers.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

There are primaries in 13 states this month. Today in Ohio, voters will decide nominees⁵ in a handful of races, including the gubernatorial race. Republican Governor Mike DeWine faces three challengers, each trying to attract voters frustrated⁶ by his pandemic response. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

ANDY CHOW, BYLINE⁷: In his run for reelection, Republican Governor Mike DeWine is touting⁸ his record of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MIKE DEWINE: I believe that we had a proper balance between public safety and also allowing people to make their livelihoods⁹.

CHOW: DeWine was the first governor in the country to shut down K-12 schools as the coronavirus started to spread. He also issued health orders to shut down businesses and implement¹¹ social distancing requirements.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Chanting) Open Ohio now.

CHOW: While Ohio was lauded¹² for keeping down the spread of COVID-19, animosity stirred among protesters calling for him to open businesses back up. Now DeWine is the first incumbent¹³ governor of Ohio to face a primary challenge since 1978. Republican Jim Renacci is running against the governor. The former congressman¹⁴ says DeWine went too far with his health orders.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JIM RENACCI: When did we start taking away these rights? That's the real issue that I'm hearing as I travel around Ohio, and that's the concern I have, too.

CHOW: Joe Blystone is a farmer and businessman who says he never even thought about running for public office until DeWine's COVID-19 response, which included a statewide mask mandate³.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOE BLYSTONE: You cover your face up. You stay away from people. Don't send your kids to school. Don't go to church. Our rights was severely¹⁵ stomped¹⁶ on.

CHOW: Former State Representative Ron Hood¹⁰ is also running in the race with a low-profile campaign, rarely doing interviews.

All three challengers are positioning themselves further to the right of DeWine and as the pro-Trump¹⁷ candidate. But former President Donald Trump hasn't endorsed¹⁸ anyone in the gubernatorial race. That's left the challengers splitting the anti-DeWine vote and turning their attacks on each other.

DeWine, who has spent more than 40 years in public service as a Republican, defends his conservative record. He notes that he's signed bills that lifted gun regulations and expanded abortion¹⁹ restrictions²⁰.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DEWINE: So this has been, from a social conservative and a fiscal²¹ conservative point of view, a very, very conservative administration.

CHOW: The primary, overall, is expected to have a low turnout, with early voting already lagging behind 2018 numbers.

For NPR News, I'm Andy Chow in Columbus.