Mike DeWine, born on January fifth, nineteen forty-seven, is a prominent American politician and attorney currently serving as the seventy-first governor of Ohio, a position he has held since two thousand nineteen. A dedicated member of the Republican Party, DeWine has had a long and varied political career, including serving as the fiftieth attorney general of Ohio from two thousand eleven to two thousand nineteen, and representing Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives from nineteen eighty-three to nineteen ninety-one.
A native of Yellow Springs, Ohio, DeWine graduated from Miami University in nineteen sixty-nine with a bachelor's degree and later earned his Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University College of Law in nineteen seventy-two. His career in public service began as an assistant prosecutor for Greene County, where he later became the county prosecutor. In nineteen eighty, he transitioned to the Ohio Senate, marking the beginning of his extensive political journey.
In nineteen ninety-one, DeWine was sworn in as the fifty-ninth lieutenant governor of Ohio under Governor George Voinovich. He gained national recognition during the Republican Revolution of nineteen ninety-four when he was elected to the United States Senate, serving until his defeat by Sherrod Brown in two thousand six. After a brief hiatus from politics, he returned to serve as Ohio's attorney general, a role he held until his election as governor in two thousand eighteen.
During his tenure as governor, DeWine has faced significant challenges, including a tragic shooting in Dayton that led him to advocate for new gun control measures. His leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic garnered national attention, as he implemented early measures to protect public health, including closing dine-in restaurants and sporting events. In two thousand twenty-two, he was reelected by a substantial margin of twenty-five percent against Democratic nominee Nan Whaley, the former mayor of Dayton.