When I made the decision ninety days ago to launch an exploratory run for Ohio governor, I frankly didn’t know what to expect. Given how early it is in the 2026 primary election, I figured the reaction among the grassroots would be positive, but muted.
Boy was I wrong!
In just ninety days, we have hit or booked events in twenty-three Ohio counties, which is well ahead of our schedule to hit all eighty-eight Ohio counties by July 2024. We have reached thousands of Ohioans, with most Ohioans responding with enthusiasm and support for my Reagan-esque "bold colors, no pale pastels" agenda for Ohio. Volunteers have stepped up to amp up our social media presence and do outreach to the counties I have not hit yet. Even more Ohioans are spreading my message across Ohio via social media, emails, and word of mouth.
You know things are going right when you hear that Ohioans down in Florida have heard about your effort and express excitement about a new era for Ohio. It isn’t just the grassroots that is reacting to my effort; we've shaken up the Establishment, too. A month after my allegedly “too early’ announcement, my likely top primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, jumped into the fray. And, it isn’t just him. Attorney General Dave Yost and Treasurer Robert Sprague are telling donors they are getting into the 2026 governor's race, too. Secretary of State Frank Larose is apparently looking at the race, as well.
I say, come on in, boys, the water is great! With each Establishment candidate who runs, the plurality needed to win the primary comes down as they divide the Establishment vote, thereby making my grassroots support more powerful.
We’ve also made great progress on the donor front. While I don’t believe I’ll need as much money as the musical chair men who swap offices every eight years will need to explain why eight more years of their pale pastel ideas are good for Ohio, I will need enough to ensure my message reaches as many Republican primary voters as possible. We know from my events that those who hear about my aggressive agenda for Ohio, love it and get behind my effort. We’ve not only picked up donor support, but, by getting in early so successfully, we’ve stopped other donors from getting behind other candidates. Because none of my opponents have the personal wealth to self-finance, they will be desperate for funding so each donor we freeze is a huge victory.
We’ve similarly made solid headway in getting greater neutrality from the State Central Committee. Specifically, Husted is counting on getting the endorsement of the Ohio Republican Party so his name is listed on slate cards sent to every Republican primary voter. With a sizable chunk of primary voters just using the slate card to guide their voting, ensuring no one gets endorsed is vital to our overall effort. As a result, we’ve moved aggressively to make sure that doesn’t happen, as the endorsement itself is an in-kind contribution worth millions.
Finally, our message is attracting attention both inside Ohio and as far away as Texas. As I’ve said repeatedly, if the Republican supermajority legislature and DeWine-Husted get my agenda done over the next three years, I’ll gladly not run. We’ve already heard from several legislators excited about my bold agenda and asking how they can advance agenda items now, which is the kind of progress we want to see.
Just yesterday, Rep. Lance Gooden from Texas introduced the “Justice Against Sponsors of Illicit Fentanyl Act of 2023” that would allow Americans to sue the Chinese and Mexican governments for their acts and omissions over the fentanyl epidemic they’ve unleashed on America. If you’ve followed my campaign, I was the first and only voice pushing for this exact legislation when I launched my effort back in January. We now must get the Ohio delegation behind this vital piece of legislation so we can get justice and remuneration out of China and Mexico for the death and destruction they caused.
As always, if you missed my weekly spin on the Bruce Hooley Show on The Answer in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton, you can listen here.
Thank you to all those folks working hard to spread the word of my effort and to ensure Ohioans from every county get to hear from me what a bold colors, no pale pastels agenda looks like.
Fantastic First Ninety Days Exploring a Run for Governor