John Cranley and Nan Whaley land mayoral endorsements in 2022 race

Democratic mayors across Ohio are being asked to make a choice on who they'll back for governor in the 2022 primary race: Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley or Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.

Divisions are quickly revealing themselves.

This week, mayors Dan Horrigan of Akron, Frank Jackson of Cleveland, Andrew Ginther of Columbus and Wade Kapszukiewicz of Toledo picked Whaley.

Mayors of east Cleveland cities – Brad Sellers of Warrenville Heights, Michael Booker of Highland Hills and Ben Holbert of Woodmere – endorsed Cranley.

Whaley and Cranley co-founded the Ohio Mayors Alliance, a bipartisan effort to lobby state lawmakers on topics important to municipalities. 

Endorsements, especially this early in a contest, often don't mean much to voters. They typically don't dial into races until shortly before voting begins. But endorsements can help candidates' ground game if they mobilize volunteers and spur donors to give money.