State of Ohio Archives: on Crime
Bernie Moreno:
We need to restore respect for law and order in this country
We need to ensure that hard-left judges cannot wash away hard-fought victories. That means confirming strong, principled jurists to the bench.
We need to restore respect for law and order in this country, and respect for those who work every day to protect us.
Source: 2021 Ohio Senate campaign website BernieMoreno.com
Apr 19, 2021
Bernie Moreno:
We must stand together to "defend the police"
We need to restore respect for law-and-order in this country, and for those who work every day to keep us safe: our military, our police officers, and our first responders.
While radical Democrats want to "defund the police," we must stand together to "defend the police" and give our men and women in uniform the resources and the training they need to properly protect us.
Source: 2022 Ohio Senate campaign website BernieMoreno.com
Dec 24, 2021
Charlie Wilson:
Supports alternative sentencing & rehabilitation
Indicate which principles you support to address crime. - Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
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Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
Source: 1998 Ohio Legislative National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
Connie Pillich:
Worked as public defender, and challenged predatory lenders
In the Air Force, Connie completed her MBA, served in Berlin at the height of the cold war, and served in support of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Connie and her husband then settled in Cincinnati and started a family, and she graduated
from law school.Connie worked as a public defender and later opened her own law practice where she challenged predatory lenders on behalf of vulnerable senior citizens.
Source: 2018 Ohio gubernatorial campaign website ConniePillich.com
May 2, 2017
Eric Deaton:
Being pro-life, I believe in very limited capital punishment
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? A: Yes. Being pro-life,
I believe in very limited capital punishment, but when the rights and privileges of life are forfeited through heinous crimes where there is no doubt of guilt, let them die.
Source: Ohio Congressional 2010 Political Courage Test
Aug 11, 2010
Eric Fingerhut:
Support death penalty; ban racial profiling
Principles which Fingerhut supports to address crime: - Support the use of the death penalty in Ohio.
- Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
Source: Ohio Congressional 2002 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 5, 2002
Eric Fingerhut:
No parole for repeat offenders
Principles which Fingerhut supports to address crime: - Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
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End parole for repeat or violent offenders.
- Increase state funding for additional security of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks.
Source: Ohio Congressional 2002 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 5, 2002
Jane Timken:
I will always "Back the Blue," not defund the police
We cannot listen to the lefts' radical calls for defunding or abolishing the police. Republicans support common-sense solutions to police reform such as more training, better equipment like bodycams, and enhanced transparency--none of which would be
possible without proper funding. While we should always root out bad apples and hold those accountable who break the law or misuse force, we cannot paint police officers with a broad and destructive brush. I will always "Back the Blue."
Source: Delaware Gazette on 2022 Ohio Senate race
May 5, 2021
JD Vance:
Violent crime spike because police afraid to do their jobs
We have a massive spike in violent crime because police officers are afraid to do their jobs.
Any "crime prevention" effort that focuses on job training or gun seizures is a giant distraction. @JDVance1
Source: Twitter postig on 2022 Ohio Senate race
Jun 24, 2021
Jim Renacci:
Opposes capital punishment
Renacci, a father of three, grew up in a blue collar family in western Pennsylvania and was the first in his family to graduate college. He began his career as an accountant before shifting to business management and ownership. He was a volunteer
firefighter, city councilman and mayor in Wadsworth. He opposes abortion, capital punishment and gay marriage but supports Trump's proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico, impose a temporary travel ban and repeal and replace ObamaCare.
Source: Dayton Daily News on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Feb 4, 2017
Jim Renacci:
I will always stand with law enforcement, ensure support
[On police reform]: "I will always stand with the men and women of our law enforcement and ensure they have the support they need to do their jobs. The Second Amendment must also be preserved so we are able
to protect ourselves and our families from harm, especially when DeWine's policies have led to Ohio being the home to the three most deadly cities in America."
Source: 2021 Ohio Gubernatorial campaign website JimRenacci.com
Jun 10, 2021
John Kasich:
Rehab, not prison, for low-level offenders
The local judges now are not sending everybody to prison when they're a low offender. And I want to thank the judge, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, because we work with judges to bring rational thinking into this and to keep them in the
local community where they can be rehabbed, get their life back, and the public can be safe. We have now the lowest entry into our state prisons in 27 years. It's starting to work.
Source: 2018 Ohio State of the State address
Mar 7, 2018
John Kasich:
Black Lives Matter means the system doesn't work for them
Kasich is the governor of Ohio, the site of one of the most horrific incidents that animate Black Lives Matter. Tamir Rice was a 12-year-old playing with a toy gun in a Cleveland park when he was shot & killed by police in November 2014. It was also in
Cleveland where two unarmed people were fatally killed when police fired on their car 137 times in 2012.So when Kasich met with The Post's editorial board, I had one question: When you hear the phrase "Black lives matter," what do you hear? "Well,
what I hear is that there are people that are in this country who think the system not only doesn't work for them," he said, "but it works against them."
Kasich then unleashed a torrent of information on everything he had done for the African American
community. There was the commission to heal the fractured trust between police and people of color. He talked about efforts to reform the schools and welfare. And he boasted about signing a law to "ban the box" and reducing prison recidivism.
Source: Washington Post on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Apr 21, 2016
John Kasich:
Police must understand challenges of black community
I asked Gov. Kasich what he would say to fellow Republicans who might be upset with [Kasich's support of "Black Lives matter"] and who don't think there is a problem. "What would I say? Tough," Kasich said.What struck me as a breath of fresh air was
really Kasich being consistent. What he told us was in keeping with what he has been saying for months now, [like this excerpt from a] CNN interview last August]: "Black lives matter, especially now, because there's a fear in these communities that, you
know, justice isn't working for them. But it's about balance. The community has to understand the challenges of police, and the police have to understand the challenges of the community."
There's something about that "especially now" that reveals a
person who heard his constituents and understands their fears and concerns. This is exactly where the Republican Party ought to be in 2016. Working on tough issues and expanding the reach of the GOP while adhering to its conservative principles.
Source: Washington Post on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Apr 21, 2016
John Kasich:
Spared 7 death-row inmates; executed 15 more
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has finished dealing with executions for the remainder of his time in office. The Republican governor spared seven men from execution during his two terms in office, including commutations on March 26 and July 20. Kasich allowed 15
executions to proceed.Kasich "appreciates the gravity of this authority and therefore carefully considers these cases to make decisions that further justice," said a spokesman. Ohio resumed executions in 1999 under Gov. Bob Taft after a 36-year gap.
Taft said he's now opposed to capital punishment except in the most severe cases.
Sparing inmates is not the political death knell it might have been in decades past, thanks to concerns about innocence raised by DNA testing and the role of severe
mental illness on some offenders' behavior. "Kasich's decisions to commute reflect a societal shift away from an unquestioning belief in the value of the death penalty or at least the value in every case," said a University of Dayton law professor.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Jul 30, 2018
John Kasich:
Ban the box: no criminal history check on job applications
Gov. Kasich signed into law a bill that will bar public employers from including on job applications questions concerning an applicant's criminal background. The signing of the "ban the box" vote comes amid growing national concern that the job
application check box about a person's criminal history can deter offenders from seeking jobs and can cause employers to miss out on qualified workers.Earlier this month, the Ohio Senate voted overwhelmingly, on a 32-1 vote, to "ban the box" for
public-sector jobs. Under the bill, a public employer would still be allowed to do a background check and reject applicants with recent or relevant offenses. But the record check gets done later in the process, usually after an interview. The bill does
not apply to people seeking private employment.
Kasich earlier instructed the state's human resources department to "ban the box" in June, by voluntarily adopting the Ohio Justice & Policy Center and Ohio Organizing Collaborative's recommendations.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Dec 23, 2015
Josh Mandel:
Voted YES on lethal force against home intruders
Mandel voted YES on SB 184, "Lethal Force Against Intruders". The bill passed the House, 73-23. Summary: - A person is presumed to have acted in self-defense if using defensive force that is likely to cause great bodily harm or death to an intruder
in a home or vehicle
- A person who is lawfully in a residence or vehicle has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense, or defense of a residence
- No landlord may prohibit a tenant from possessing or carrying a handgun in the tenant's
residence
- Allows a person who lawfully possesses a firearm of at least 24 inches in length to transport that firearm unloaded and in plain sight in a vehicle
- Allows a person with a license to carry a concealed handgun to do so in a school
safety zone if dropping off or picking up a child
- Prohibits a claim for relief if through criminal action a person is the cause of the injury or loss that is the subject of the claim
Source: Ohio Senate Bill SB 184 summary
May 28, 2008
Joyce Beatty:
Moratorium on the death penalty
Beatty indicates support of the following principles regarding crime.- Support a moratorium on the death penalty.
- Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
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Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
Source: Ohio Legislative 2000 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2000
Joyce Beatty:
End parole for repeat violent offenders
Beatty indicates support of the following principles regarding crime.- End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
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Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
Source: Ohio Legislative 2000 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2000
Lee Fisher:
Expand the use of the death penalty
Fisher indicated he supported the following principles concerning crime:- Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
- Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
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Lower the limit defining drunk driving to .08 blood alcohol content.
- Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
Source: Ohio Gubernatorial 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
Lee Fisher:
More prisons; less parole for repeat violent felons
Fisher indicated he supported the following principles concerning crime:- Increase state funds for construction of state prisons & additional prison staff.
- End parole for repeat violent felons.
- Implement penalties other than incarceration
for certain non-violent offenders.
- Increase programs which rehabilitate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
- Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
Source: Ohio Gubernatorial 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
Matt Dolan:
Unapologetically BACK THE BLUE; won't defund the police
Rising crime in Ohio and across America stems from the attacks socialist Democrats have relentlessly waged against our police officers. It's shameful and has no place in our communities. As a prosecutor and member of Ohio's General Assembly,
I have always supported our police and first responders. In the U.S. Senate, I will unapologetically BACK THE BLUE and stop any attempt to defund the police.
Source: 2021 OH Senate campaign website DolanForOhio.com
Sep 21, 2021
Michael Pryce:
Supports capital punishment
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders?
A: No.
Q: Do you support mandatory prison sentences for selling illegal drugs?
A: Yes.
Source: Ohio Congressional Election 2010 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2010
Michael Pryce:
No reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders
Q: Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related training and job-placement assistance when released?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with
substance abuse treatment?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders?
A: No.
Q: Do you support mandatory prison sentences for selling illegal drugs?
A: Yes.
Source: Ohio Congressional Election 2010 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2010
Mike DeWine:
Create permanent funding for on-going police training
Some years, the State funds police training. Most years, we don't. Professional development training, year after year, is something that every single police officer wants, and it directly benefits the public. In last year's budget, you created a
Commission to study this problem. I am asking you simply to adopt the recommendations of the Commission that you created. These recommendations will create a permanent funding source for on-going training.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Ohio legislature
Mar 23, 2022
Mike DeWine:
Get tough on convicted violent offenders who use guns
We must strengthen our laws to deal with violent offenders who have lost their legal right to possess a firearm, but still carry and use weapons to commit violent crime. Now, it's a small group, but we must target them, and we must remove them from
society! There is a bill that achieves this goal by increasing penalties on these dangerous felons. We need to get tough on the convicted violent offenders who carry and use weapons in violation of the law.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Ohio legislature
Mar 23, 2022
Mike Gibbons:
Stricter punishment reduces crime
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Stricter punishment reduces crime"?
A: Strongly support
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Ohio Senate candidate
Apr 24, 2018
Nan Whaley:
Police reform process led to major systemic changes
After the racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd, Nan built an innovative, inclusive process to reform Dayton's police policies and make the city a safer place for all residents. She brought together community leaders, clergy,
public defenders, judges, and police to analyze policies and offer recommendations. This ongoing process has already led to major, systemic changes like body cameras, de-escalations training, and the creation of an alternative responder system.
Source: 2022 Ohio Governor campaign website NanWhaleyForOhio.com
Apr 6, 2021
Nan Whaley:
Supports alternative response to certain non-violent calls
Mayor Nan Whaley said that an important recommendation from the police reform process was to create an alternative responder for certain non-violent calls. "Both community members and police agreed that there are situations where police are
not best equipped to respond," she tweeted. Whaley said that while it will probably take several years before the new model is fully implemented, she believes it will transform public safety in Dayton.
Source: Dayton 24/7 NOW on 2022 Ohio Governor race
Apr 5, 2021
P.G. Sittenfeld:
Mandatory minimum sentencing causes black mass incarceration
The problem of institutional racism is real. It must be addressed. And public officials need to acknowledge that not every problem in our inner cities is related to economics. Take the problem of mass incarceration, for example.That America has less
than 5% of the world's population--but 25% of the world's total prison population--is both shocking and disgraceful. At a time when crime has fallen to historic lows all across the nation, it is outrageous that nearly a third of all black males will
spend at least part of their lives in prison.
Over-incarceration does little to reduce crime. But it does a lot to destroy families, burden taxpayers, and increase joblessness. Right now, 1 out of every 28 children has a parent in prison. Taxpayers
spend about $80 billion a year to keep them there.
[We should] rethink arbitrary, mandatory minimum sentencing, especially for low-level, non-violent offenses that are more effectively--and more cheaply--handled through probation and diversion programs
Source: 2016 Ohio Senate race: Center of Hope Baptist Church speech
Aug 9, 2015
Richard Cordray:
Endorsements by law enforcement reflects his efforts as AG
Ohio AG Richard Cordray said he has restored professionalism to the scandal-ridden office he took over in 2009, has made sweeping reforms to better serve law enforcement officials and has focused on protecting the financial security of residents.
He said that since then he has focused on his campaign promises, including finding more ways to help police and sheriff departments "do their best work." He said he measures his success by the fact all 7 law enforcement organizations have endorsed him.
Source: Akron Beacon-Journal on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Oct 8, 2010
Sherrod Brown:
Provide police with de-escalation training
Criminal Justice : How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?- Sherrod Brown (D): Would give officers the "resources, training, and support they need."
Sponsored bills to provide police with de-escalation training, and to end racial profiling, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and improve community relations. "Has worked...to increase diversity in the justice system."
-
Bernie Moreno (R): "Empower local law enforcement." Would maintain policies that protect police from civil lawsuits around use of excessive
force. "Will always support law and order." "Demoralizing the police" is the goal of "the radical left."
Source: Guides.vote candidate survey on 2024 Ohio Senate race
Aug 8, 2024
Steven Driehaus:
Moratorium on the death penalty
Driehaus indicates he supports the following principles concerning crime. - Support a moratorium on the death penalty.
- Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
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Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
Source: 2000 Ohio National Political Awareness Test
Nov 4, 2008
Ted Strickland:
Spared 5 death-row inmates; executed 17 more
Ohio Gov. John Kasich spared seven men from execution during his two terms in office, and allowed 15 executions to proceed. Kasich's immediate predecessor, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, commuted five death sentences and allowed 17 executions during
his four-year term.Ohio resumed executions in 1999 after a 36-year gap. Sparing inmates is not the political death knell it might have been in decades past, thanks to concerns about innocence raised by
DNA testing and the role of severe mental illness on some offenders' behavior. "Kasich's decisions to commute reflect a societal shift away from an unquestioning belief in the value of the death penalty or at least the value in every case," said a
University of Dayton law professor.
Strickland said he doesn't think he paid a political price for his commutations, which he tried to use "as judiciously and appropriately as I could."
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Jul 30, 2018
Frank LaRose:
Oppose defunding the police; protect qualified immunity
Frank will work to reduce crime, protect public safety, support the recruitment of more police officers, and oppose every effort to defund the police. He'll support efforts to crack down on radical prosecutors and district attorneys who refuse
to prosecute crimes and protect qualified immunity provisions that shield law enforcement officers from frivolous lawsuits. He'll also fight to block federal support for programs that promote the demonization of America as a "racist" society.
Source: 2024 Ohio Senate campaign website FrankLaRose.com
Jul 25, 2023
Bernie Moreno:
Demoralizing the police is the goal of the radical left
Criminal Justice : How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?- Sherrod Brown (D): Would give officers the "resources, training, and support they need."
Sponsored bills to provide police with de-escalation training, and to end racial profiling, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and improve community relations. "Has worked...to increase diversity in the justice system."
-
Bernie Moreno (R): "Empower local law enforcement." Would maintain policies that protect police from civil lawsuits around use of excessive
force. "Will always support law and order." "Demoralizing the police" is the goal of "the radical left."
Source: Guides.vote candidate survey on 2024 Ohio Senate race
Aug 8, 2024
Vivek Ramaswamy:
Trump should not be convicted of a process crime
Q: The superseding indictment [in the Florida classified documents case] says that after Trump learned that the Justice Department wanted to subpoena security footage from Mar-a-Lago, Trump [criminally] wanted the footage deleted. You've said repeatedly
that you would pardon Trump in this documents case...RAMASWAMY: I think that our general norm in our Justice Department is, you should not convict somebody of a process crime when there was no actual underlying crime.
Q: So, you think destroying
evidence is a process crime?
RAMASWAMY: I think it is, by definition, a process crime. Nobody left, right -- any legal scholar will agree with me on that statement. That is, by definition, a process crime, a crime that would not have existed but for
the existence of an investigation. I absolutely think the right answer for the country is to put the grievances of the past behind us, to pardon President Trump, so that we can move forward as one nation, rather than marching to a national divorce.
Source: CNN SOTU interviews on 2026 Ohio Governor race
Jul 30, 2023
Amy Acton:
We must address the underlying root causes of crime
Crime is often a symptom of other community and societal problems, and we must work to address the underlying root causes by investing in education and career opportunities in both small towns and large urban centers, tackling poverty, and providing
treatment and support services for those experiencing mental health and substance use disorder issues. We will also undertake common sense reforms to reduce the scourge of gun violence.
Source: 2026 Ohio Governor campaign website ActonForGovernor.com
Dec 31, 2025
Jon Husted:
Most important government function: protect people, property
Convincing people that cities and suburbs in Northeast Ohio are safe to live in and a good place to raise a family is simply a matter of ensuring that it is, Husted said, explaining that the most important function of government is protecting people and
their property. Vance characterized downtown Akron and other Ohio cities as lawless places during a July 28 visit to Stark County, but his Senate successor steered clear of echoing that pronouncement.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal on 2026 Ohio Senate race
Aug 14, 2025
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026