Ohio governor鈥檚 science-based COVID-19 response wins bipartisan praise
Before a single case of COVID-19 had been reported in his state, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine began imposing sweeping restrictions. The mild-mannered Republican banned spectators from large-scale sporting events. He recommended that colleges suspend in-person classes. He was the first governor in the nation to close his state鈥檚 public schools, and he fought to postpone Ohio鈥檚 primary election.
The moves may have seemed radical at the time, but as Ohio now begins to gradually reopen, having recorded just under 2,000 deaths so far, public health experts say the governor鈥檚 swift actions likely helped the state avoid the fate of its northern neighbor, Michigan, or that of many East Coast hot spots.
At a time when responses to the virus seem increasingly marked by partisanship, Governor DeWine鈥檚 apolitical, fact-based approach has earned him聽plaudits from the media and sky-high approval ratings from voters on both sides of the aisle.聽To many, the Ohio governor鈥檚 decidedly non-flashy style of leadership 鈥� a steady competence, shaped by decades of experience 鈥� is exactly what鈥檚 needed at this moment of crisis.
Why We Wrote This
Mike DeWine鈥檚 early, decisive action on the virus likely saved lives, say experts 鈥� and catapulted the low-key, career politician onto the national stage. Voters cite his reliance on experts, and his willingness to admit unknowns.
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free. No paywall.
鈥淭he way I鈥檝e approached this is to get all the information, to rely on the best science that鈥檚 available,鈥� says Governor DeWine, in an interview with the Monitor that took place in mid-May. 鈥淔orty years of doing politics and government, the mistakes I鈥檝e made is because I didn鈥檛 get enough facts ... and I didn鈥檛 trust my gut instinct. And my gut instinct throughout this has been we needed to move faster.鈥�
The longtime Ohio politician, who has variously served as a United States senator, a congressman, and his state鈥檚 attorney general, has often been labeled 鈥渘erdy鈥� or 鈥渂oring鈥� due to his subdued manner and scandal-free career.聽But that low-key image masks the roll-up-your-sleeves attitude of someone who just comes in and gets the work done, says Joe Hallett, a retired political journalist who wrote for several Ohio newspapers.
鈥淓xperience matters,鈥� says Mr. Hallett. 鈥淒eWine has been inside government and knows what levers to pull and push. He鈥檚 not someone given to stunts.鈥�
Mr. Hallett witnessed that tenacity firsthand in 1994. While covering Mr. DeWine鈥檚 campaign for the U.S. Senate, the reporter found the then-lieutenant governor lying in the back seat of a car, trying to pass a kidney stone. He was in pain, but refused to cancel that evening鈥檚 event.
鈥淗e struggles out of the car and goes in, there鈥檚 about 100 to 150 people in there for dinner, and DeWine winces his way through the door and instantly his demeanor changes,鈥� says Mr. Hallett. 鈥淗e goes from table to table and shakes every single hand, suffering on the inside but nobody was the wiser.鈥�
Nearly 30 years later, Mr. DeWine harnessed this quiet, steely resolve again to slow the spread of COVID-19.
A Washington Post-Ipsos聽聽released May 12 found that 86% of Ohio voters approve of the way Mr. DeWine has dealt with the coronavirus 鈥� the highest rating any governor received in its poll, and solidly bipartisan (Democrats actually rated his job slightly higher than Republicans). By contrast, 45% of voters approved of President Donald Trump鈥檚 efforts.
The governor himself is quick to dismiss those numbers, recognizing that they鈥檙e likely to come back down as the challenge moves into new phases. And he stresses that given the stakes, politics are beside the point.
鈥淭hose poll numbers are nice, but that鈥檚 not where they鈥檙e going to stay 鈥� and that鈥檚 OK,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e dealing with people鈥檚 lives. These are the most important decisions I will ever make in my life.鈥�
Early on, daily press briefings with the governor and his team of public health experts quickly became prime-time viewing for thousands of Ohioans eager for information about the virus鈥檚 spread and the state鈥檚 lockdown orders.
鈥淸They] were so good at presenting ideas and giving people the opportunity to digest them and process them before they were implemented,鈥� says Deborah Hellmuth Bosner, who runs an optometry practice in the Columbus area. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about setting expectations. I was always able to start preparing as a [business] what shutdown procedures would look like, where we might need to go.鈥�
In the beginning of the crisis, before much data had been collected, Mr. DeWine would often emphasize the lack of information and uncertainty to the public. For Greg Laux, a trial lawyer in Cincinnati, it was refreshing to hear a politician be so candid, or admit to not knowing something. He says the briefings also demonstrated the trust Mr. DeWine places in Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton and other scientific experts.聽聽
鈥淚n a crisis, I think people look for confidence, someone who is knowledgeable, an expert, and competent,鈥� says Mr. Laux, who started a Facebook fan group for Mr. DeWine. 鈥淢ike DeWine is one of the best political leaders of my lifetime.鈥澛�
Still, not all Ohioans have agreed with the governor鈥檚 decisions. Protesters marched in front of the Statehouse throughout April and May, imploring the governor to reopen the state. He partially relented on April 28,聽聽an order that required retail customers to wear masks.
But the Republican governor has remained adamant that wearing a mask is a matter of public health and is 鈥渘ot about politics鈥� 鈥� a stark contrast with fellow Republican President Trump, who has conspicuously avoided wearing a mask in public.聽
To some, it鈥檚 striking that the Ohio governor 鈥� an establishment Republican for his entire political career 鈥� would take such a markedly different approach from his party鈥檚 current leader. But during his 12 years in the U.S. Senate, Mr. DeWine was generally regarded as a moderate Republican, one who was at times willing to buck the party line and work with Democrats.
Mike Curtin, a former reporter and editor at The Columbus Dispatch who covered the governor extensively over the course of his career, adds that at this stage in his career, the governor is a 鈥渇ree man.鈥澛�
鈥淭he difference between Governor DeWine and Mike DeWine in his previous political iterations is that he understood that this was his final stop,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f this were a Mike DeWine 25 years younger than he is, he probably would not be quite as independent as he鈥檚 been.鈥�
Mr. Curtin 鈥� who had a partial stake in a minor league baseball team owned by Governor DeWine鈥檚 son until he sold it in 2019 鈥� says that freedom has helped the governor remain data-driven throughout this crisis, heeding his public health experts鈥櫬燼dvice.聽
鈥淚t allows him to follow the science, to be true to his heart,鈥� he says. 鈥淧eople tend to appreciate that, and that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 getting the virtual standing O鈥檚 鈥� he鈥檚 being his authentic self.鈥澛�
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free. No paywall.
