Buckeye Reporter

Jim Renacci, former Republican Congressman challenging Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in May's GOP gubernatorial primaries earlier this month criticized a reporter for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland for being less than objective about the governor.

Renacci, 63, an accountant and businessman who represented Ohio's 16th congressional district from 2011 to 2019, compared political reporter Jeremy Pelzer's reporting about DeWine to "snowflakes falling in Ohio right now." Renacci also referred to The Plain Dealer as "The Ohio Fake News."

Pelzer's news stories about the governor are "beautiful pieces of work but incredibly fragile with very little substance," Renacci said in his Feb. 4 news release. "When The Ohio Fake News is done getting spoon-fed by DeWine's people, they should step out of the Columbus bubble and talk to actual Ohio Trump supporters (their RINO DeWine friends don't count)."

Pelzer is ignoring DeWine's "serious problems," Renacci said in his news release.

"DeWine has some serious problems that Pelzer would rather not admit, but they should be reported no matter how unpleasant they are!" Renacci said. "Otherwise it's a big disservice to the great people of Ohio. The media totally failed to see Donald Trump's victory in 2016 or his landslide win in Ohio in 2020 coming, and they saluted DeWine for his lockdowns that even the Democrats now admit were a huge, costly mistake. If the media doesn't get smarter with their reporting this time, they and the RINOs who read them are going to be shocked yet again on Election Day!"

DeWine was the handpicked replacement of then term-limited Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich's to succeed him in 2019. DeWine now is one of the longest-serving elected officials in Ohio's history. DeWine has spent more than 41 years in elected office, including time in the state and U.S. senates, State Senate, state attorney general and lieutenant governor and in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Renacci's news release did not refer to specific news stories by Pelzer but a news story by the reporter in The Plain Dealer was published the same day under the headline that read in part, "Gov. Mike DeWine enters primary campaign season with clear advantages." The same news story referred to a Public Policy Survey and reported that "DeWine's approval rating was higher among Democrats than Republicans," but left out the poll's findings that show DeWine didn't do so well among Republicans. The article also mention's DeWine's "missteps," including pandemic mitigations and his part in the FirstEnergy/House Bill 6 scandal.

"And yet, with about three months to go before Ohio's May 3 primary election, everything seems to be falling into place for DeWine," the news story said. The news story also noted noted DeWine's name recognition, his campaign's funding and connections, and that DeWine is the incumbent governor "likely" to receive the Ohio Republican Party's endorsement.

Renacci, who refers to himself as "the only Trump candidate," received Clermont County Republican Party's endorsement earlier this year.

DeWine and Renacci are expected to face off in the May 3rd GOP gubernatorial primary. The winner will appear on the ballot for the Nov. 8 General Election.