Buckeye Reporter

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tweeted criticisms of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, while gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci accused DeWine on Twitter of trying to "cover up" that he's "pals" with Biden. 

Renacci pointed out that DeWine has aligned himself numerous times with current and past Democratic presidents, but DeWine says it was for the good of the state.

"DeWine and Biden are two career politicians who go back decades to when they were buddies in Congress,” Renacci said in a press release. “Given DeWine's record of governing like a blue state liberal, it took less than a year for Biden to give Mike DeWine a position as co-chair of Biden's Council of Governors. Real conservatives see through the rhetoric and recognize career politicians when we see them, and we've had enough of DeWine's coziness with Joe Biden. Joe Knopp and I are firmly pro-Trump, pro-constitution, pro-family, pro-freedom and pro-Ohio."

DeWine faces Renacci in the Ohio GOP gubernatorial primary on May 3. The GOP winner will run against the Democratic challenger in the general election on Nov. 8.

“Inflation is challenging Ohio families at the grocery store and gas pump. While we have worked to keep pipelines open, the Biden administration has restricted pipelines, driving up gas prices,” DeWine tweeted while Biden delivered his State of the Union Address.

The Associated Press reported in January that DeWine "wants lawmakers to put the brakes on a proposal to halt the collection of Ohio's newly increased taxes on gas and diesel fuel."

Ohio Republicans have proposed a five-year reduction in gas and diesel taxes, which would cut the 38.5 cents per gallon gas tax (47 cents for diesel) to 28 cents each, Axios reports. DeWine said he opposes that plan because the taxes are needed for infrastructure.  

"In contrast to runaway inflation, in Ohio we have cut taxes by $3.6 billion while balancing the budget. Ohio businesses and families are experiencing the lowest tax rate in more than 40 years," DeWine tweeted during Biden’s address to the nation.

The Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index ranks Ohio 41st for individual income tax burden, 40th for business taxes and sixth for property taxes. Ohio doesn’t make the top 10 best-ranked states for overall tax rates and neither does it rank in the bottom 10, which includes California, New York and Vermont for the highest tax rates. Ohio sits overall among the middle 30 of the rankings.  

"President Biden has not protected our border, letting drug traffickers bring lethal drugs into our state, devastating families and communities. To protect Ohio families, our administration has sent the Ohio National Guard and State Highway Patrol to the border," DeWine tweeted at Biden during the speech.

Renacci’s campaign challenged DeWine’s record, reminding Ohioans on Twitter that in 2006 DeWine voted with former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. “Do people know Mike DeWine voted for AMNESTY when he was in the Senate two decades ago?”

At 74 years old and 41 years in office, DeWine stands as one of Ohio’s longest-serving public officials. Former Gov. John Kasich chose DeWine to replace him as Ohio governor in 2019. DeWine served in the Ohio State Senate, as the Ohio attorney general, Ohio lieutenant governor and represented Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate.