Though Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray has remained mum on a possible run for Ohio governor, Democrats in the state are already banking on him running.
Cordray’s decision to enter the race would significantly change the playing field since he would be the highest profile Democrat in the primary race.
While publications, like HousingWire, focused on the news of Cordray stepping down from his position on Wednesday, Ohio news publications all but confirmed that Cordray will run for Ohio governor, with headlines like, “Cordray quits federal post to run for Ohio governor.”
Cordray’s resignation letter focused solely his time there and the legacy he left behind.
“As I have said many times, but feel just as much today as I ever have, it has been a joy of my life to have the opportunity to serve our country as the first director of the Consumer Bureau by working alongside all of you here,” Cordray wrote.
“There is always more work that lies ahead,” he said. “That would be true at any point, of course, and one thing I have tried to reinforce this year is that the Consumer Bureau is far more than its director.”
Ohio news outlets explained how this new ties into the larger picture for them of finding a new Governor. Ohio’s current governor is Republican John Kasich, who has served in the position since 2011.
According to an article by Jessica Wehrman and Jack Torry in The Columbus Dispatch, Cordray could easily resonate well with voters and become a top contender in the gubernatorial race.
From the article:
Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Eckart, a Cleveland Democrat, said “several prominent Democrats have told me this morning they expect Cordray to run for governor.”
He added, “Cordray has a very compelling story and is motivated by convictions that will resonate well in Ohio and especially for those voters in Ohio who believe they have been left behind, ripped off, or ignored.”
Another local publication expanded on what Cordray would bring to the gubernatorial race, noting that every single Republican outraised the all the Democrats in the race.
The article by Seth Richardson on cleveland.com said that barring a surprise entrance from TV personality Jerry Springer or former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Cordray would round out the field of six Democrats.
From the article:
Cordray's easily the Democratic name with the most hype. Democratic fundraising was incredibly depressed during the last reporting period.
But this doesn’t me Cordray is a shoo-in for Ohio governor.
From the article:
While Cordray is without a doubt the most high-profile candidate to enter the race (both because of his political past in the state and the months-long waiting game), he shouldn't be considered the odds-on Democratic favorite just yet.
The whole anointed candidate thing didn't work out great for Democrats in 2016, when the party got behind former Gov. Ted Strickland early in the U.S. Senate race, only to see him trounced by Republican Sen. Rob Portman.
