Two former lawmakers known for running to the right of fellow Republicans, defying health orders and advocating for a total abortion ban are collecting signatures for a possible governor bid.
Former Reps. Candice Keller, of Middletown, and Ron Hood, of Ashville, haven't officially announced a gubernatorial ticket, but they have taken the first step toward one.
"We are collecting signatures now. We’re looking into it," Keller told the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. "We’re just strongly considering it."
If they enter the race, the duo would join a crowded GOP field including the incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine, former Rep. Jim Renacci and Canal Winchester farmer Joe Blystone.
Several candidates are hoping to capitalize on anti-DeWine sentiments fueled by how the GOP governor handled the COVID-19 pandemic. But political observers say dividing that vote would strengthen DeWine's reelection bid.
Keller said her No. 1 campaign issue would be preventing workplace vaccine mandates – a topic being debated vigorously in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
"We have medical tyranny taking place in Ohio," she said. "Gov. Mike DeWine has been a disaster."
Keller said she would also tackle voter fraud, a problem that she said was rampant in 2020 but that a recent Associated Press review of six battleground states found was nominal and wouldn't have changed the presidential race's result.
"One of the other top issues is there was nationwide massive voter fraud in 2020 and that we never remedied," Keller said.
DeWine has said that Biden won the 2020 election and any fraud was minimal. DeWine once earned an unfavorable tweet from then-President Donald Trump, an apparent response to DeWine's TV appearance encouraging Trump to begin the transition to President Joe Biden.
Both Hood and Keller have a history of supporting abortion bans, including one that prevented abortions as early as six weeks gestation known as the "heartbeat bill." That law, signed by DeWine, is currently on hold in federal court.
They also co-sponsored a bill that would have required doctors to reimplant ectopic pregnancies – a procedure considered medically impossible – or face criminal charges.
Who are Keller and Hood?
Keller served in the Ohio House between 2017 and 2020, after she lost a GOP primary for Ohio Senate to West Chester's George Lang.
In the years since, she has helped form Patriot America, a group dedicated to "preserving freedom" and "changing the nation." The group is now touting Keller's and Hood's conservative credentials.
She has refused to wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to her being removed from the Gettysburg Visitor Center and Museum.
More:In a Republican bastion, former state Rep. Candice Keller's new 'Patriot' group riles politics
While in the Legislature, Keller ran afoul of the Ohio Republican Party for comments she made about the 2019 Dayton shooting, blaming the attack on "drag queen advocates," former President Barack Obama, violent video games and a slew of other causes. Then-Ohio GOP leader Jane Timken called on Keller to resign from her House seat.
More:Ohio Republican Party snubs Rep. Candice Keller, former U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt
Hood has served in the Ohio House several times, including most recently between 2013 and 2020. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Ohio Board of Education in 2020 and the 15th Congressional District in 2021.
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
