The Issues: Ohio's governor candidates
Ohio faces serious issues, and the governor will have a big say in how much you are taxed, who is covered by Medicaid, how much you pay for college and whether the state should embrace gay marriage, medical marijuana and abortion rights. In the absence of a public debate, the Dayton Daily News sat down with both major party candidates, Republican John Kasich and Democrat Ed FitzGerald to get their views on the economic, political and social issues facing the state. Kasich and FitzGerald agree on some issues, such as support for capital punishment, but there is little common ground in other areas, giving Ohioans a clear choice on Nov. 4.
 ED FITZGERALD | Â |  JOHN KASICH |
| Pro-abortion rights | Abortion | Anti-abortion |
| Favors | Capital punishment | Favors |
| Favors | Gay marriage | Opposes |
| Favors medical marijuana | Marijuana legalization | Opposes |
| Supports higher standards and funding to implement locally; opposes overreliance on standardized testing | Common Core | Supports higher standards with local control |
| Opposes | Right to work | Says it's not on his agenda; has favored it in the past |
| Help students manage debts; consider state loans; expand Cuyahoga County program that seeds a college fund for every kindergartener | College costs | Says construction reform lowered building costs; credits transfer more easily from community college to 4-year schools; HS students take college classes |
| Reverse freeze on renewable energy mandates; focus economic development on clean and renewable energy industry | Renewables & energy efficiency | Supported freeze on renewable energy standards and expanding setbacks on wind turbine locations |
| Keep it but add transparency and more focus on small business | JobsOhio | Says the private agency has brought jobs to Ohio and the Miami Valley |
| Favors progressive tax system; opposes further cuts at expense of local government services | Tax changes | Supports further reductions in income tax |
| Supports | Medicaid expansion | Pushed it through in 2013; will argue for its extension in 2015 |
| Calls cuts a disinvestment in economy; would boost funding to local governments and schools | Local government funding | Says locals survived state cuts and tightened their belts |
| Opposes privatization; supports state funding for local jails and community alternatives for non-violent offenders | Prisons | Supports funding local community alternative programs; improving drug treatment options; and privatizing some prisons and food service |
-
Abortion
FitzGerald
Pro-abortion rightsKasich
Anti-abortion -
Capital punishment
FitzGerald
FavorsKasich
Favors -
Gay marriage
FitzGerald
FavorsKasich
Opposes -
Marijuana legalization
FitzGerald
Favors medical marijuanaKasich
Opposes -
Common core
FitzGerald
Supports higher standards and funding to implement locally; opposes overreliance on standardized testingKasich
Supports higher standards with local control -
Right to work
FitzGerald
OpposesKasich
Says it's not on his agenda; has favored it in the past -
College costs
FitzGerald
Help students manage debts; consider state loans; expand Cuyahoga County program that seeds a college fund for every kindergartenerKasich
Says construction reform lowered building costs; credits transfer more easily from community college to 4-year schools; HS students take college classes -
Renewables & energy efficiency
FitzGerald
Reverse freeze on renewable energy mandates; focus economic development on clean and renewable energy industryKasich
Supported freeze on renewable energy standards and expanding setbacks on wind turbine locations -
JobsOhio
FitzGerald
Keep it but add transparency and more focus on small businessKasich
Says the private agency has brought jobs to Ohio and the Miami Valley -
Tax changes
FitzGerald
Favors progressive tax system; opposes further cuts at expense of local government servicesKasich
Supports further reductions in income tax -
Medicaid expansion
FitzGerald
SupportsKasich
Pushed it through in 2013; will argue for its extension in 2015 -
Local government funding
FitzGerald
Calls cuts a disinvestment in economy; would boost funding to local governments and schoolsKasich
Says locals survived state cuts and tightened their belts -
Prisons
FitzGerald
Opposes privatization; supports state funding for local jails and community alternatives for non-violent offendersKasich
Supports funding local community alternative programs; improving drug treatment options; and privatizing some prisons and food service
Candidate interviews
Kasich and FitzGerald appeared on special editions of WHIO Reports in successive weeks in October. Interviewed by Laura Bischoff of the Dayton Daily News and Jim Otte of WHIO-TV, the candidates discussed their stances on issues.
-
ED FITZGERALD
-
JOHN KASICH
Reporting: Laura Bischoff and Lynn Hulsey | Design: Kyle Nagel | Source: Dayton Daily News research | Published: Oct. 26, 2014