EDITORIAL: Mike DeWine in victory

Nov. 08--In his victory speech late on Tuesday evening, Mike DeWine declared, "We must work together not as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Ohioans," adding that "as governor, it will be my responsibility, and a responsibility I take very, very seriously, to pull people together." The governor-elect actually has elements of his record that match his words, most notably, his days in the U.S. Senate, working across the aisle on many issues.

Of course, it is easier to talk about bipartisanship when your party controls just about everything at the Statehouse. Ohio Republicans had another good Election Day, sweeping the statewide executive offices and still holding big majorities in the legislature. The hope is, in this divisive time, DeWine will prove true to his pledge, Ohio serving as an example of effective governing.

The governor-elect ran on a platform that contains planks for doing so. For instance, he proposes to upgrade in a substantial way public child care and early education programs. The sound idea is that the "skills gap" won't be narrowed without addressing the trauma of severe poverty from the earliest ages. He also has talked about more funding for schools with a heavier burden of poverty.

DeWine wants to bolster resources for children services and spur investment in areas lacking opportunity. He has plans for sharpening the state role in the opioid epidemic. These are all tools for lifting Ohio as a whole.

For years, DeWine has made no secret of his wish to one day become governor. In that way, his victory represents an impressive personal triumph. He now stands among the state's most successful politicians, his career going from county prosecutor to the state legislature, the U.S. House, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator and state attorney general. He has defied the recent trend of experience working as a liability with many voters.

In this campaign, his survival skills were on display. He navigated deftly between President Trump and the current governor, John Kasich, both with few kind thoughts about the other. The president even has taken credit for DeWine winning. He probably helped with turnout. What, if anything, does DeWine owe him?

The answer may play a role in how well the new governor leads. DeWine has promised Kasich the Medicaid expansion will stand, albeit with work requirements, though not "punitive," DeWine reassures. One path for bringing Ohio together would involve the state working to strengthen the health insurance exchange for individual buyers, a blend of Democratic and Republican ideas.

During the campaign, DeWine promised to sign the "heartbeat" bill, which would restrict dramatically abortion rights. He might weigh the prospect in view of his answer to questions about pursuing a right-to-work law. He said, essentially, the state doesn't need to get into such a fight.

The state economy has been riding the larger national expansion. Yet it continues to lag in growth, innovation and job creation. A new governor looking to secure his legacy would focus on laying the foundation for closing those shortfalls for the long term, attention paid to such things as public works and the similar needs in rural and urban areas. That would amount to taking seriously the concept of pulling Ohioans together, or the kind of governor Mike DeWine pledges to be.

___

(c)2018 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

Visit the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) at www.ohio.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.