Buckeye Reporter

Video of an exchange between Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and GOP challenger Joe Blystone at the Beef Expo has been released.

DeWine and Blystone were both captured on video at the 2022 Ohio Beef Expo held at the Fairgrounds in Columbus.

As DeWine reportedly said, "I’ll kick your ass," as he walked by Blystone, before being removed by the sheriff’s deputies. 

DeWine appears to put his left arm around Blystone's right shoulder and speak to the Canal Winchester farmer and restaurant owner in the video.

The Blystone campaign released a TikTok of the exchange with a subtitle.

Blystone later released a video discussing the exchange.

“Hi guys, how we doin’ today? Hey, we’re down here at the Beef Expo; down here at the state fairgrounds in Columbus and guess who showed up down here, thinking that he has support in the agricultural community. Mike DeWine. I got the opportunity to get up close and personal with Mr. Mike DeWine. I asked him why he wouldn’t debate me here at the end of the month. He said that everybody knows where he stands on his policies. I said, ‘Everybody wants you on a stage with me. How come you won’t debate me?’ He was all flustered, the little guy. He got so flustered, he got real close and personal with me. He grabbed my arm and he said ‘[I’m] gonna kick [your] ass.’ Then the state troopers kind of swooped him up and took him out," Blystone said in the Facebook video. 

DeWine’s team refused to comment on what was said during the exchange.

This comes the same weekend that Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons were chastised for an on-stage altercation at an Ohio Senate debate. 

DeWine has been projected to lose the general election to the Democrat candidate. In recent polls, DeWine has been neck-and-neck with conservative candidate and former congressman Jim Renacci, who has called on other opponents like Blystone to step out of the race.

Blystone himself was accused of bad behavior in the exchange, which is not off brand.

The Renacci campaign has accused Blystone of making false accusations regarding his and Renacci’s political stances.

DeWine drew the scorn of conservatives for his heavy-handed COVID protocols. Appearing in public in a mask himself on multiple occasions, DeWine has been called the "most egregious" of lockdown governors.

Both Renacci and Blystone have been highly critical of DeWine, accusing him of mishandling the pandemic

The gubernatorial primary election is set for May 3.