Ed FitzGerald, Cuyahoga County Executive and the former Lakewood mayor, is eyeing a run for governor in 2014.
According to the Plain Dealer, former governor Ted Strickland's decision to stay out of the race “accelerates” FitzGerald’s own gubernatorial exploration.
It would appear as if FitzGerald — a Lakewood resident — is gearing up to challenge Gov. John Kasich.
"I don't have a date set for making a final decision," he told the Plain Dealer.
During the past year, FitzGerald has hosted a couple political fundraisers in the area and he’s made several appearances around the state. He hasn’t been exactly shy about his political interests.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to run," Mayor Michael Summers recently told Lakewood Patch.
It's been quite a journey for FitzGerald, who took his first political gig in 1984 at age 15, when he volunteered on the Gary Hart presidential campaign in his childhood home of Indianapolis.
He moved to Lakewood in 1989. After serving on a few city boards and committees while practicing law, he was appointed to Lakewood City Council in January 1999 and has attended more than 300 council meetings since.
Tasked with turning around a corrupt county government, FitzGerald took office as Cuyahoga County's first county executive two years ago.
What do you think? Would you support Ed FitzGerald if he ran for Ohio governor? Tell us in the comments.
But if he can't handle the 7 member Cuyahoga County Public Library Board, why should I think he can manage the oil and gas industry or the health care lobby?