Former Ohio GOP congressman Jim Renacci to challenge Governor Mike DeWine in primary

Former Ohio GOP Congressman Jim Renacci on Wednesday launched his campaign to challenge the state's incumbent governor, Mike DeWine, in the Republican primary next year.

A member of Congress from 2011 to 2019, the 62-year-old Renacci briefly ran for governor before launching a U.S. Senate campaign in 2018; he ultimately lost to Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown by nearly 7 points.  DeWine has faced criticism from some Ohio conservatives over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic for enacting more pandemic restrictions than other Republican governors. Renacci is hoping that the GOP base's anger with DeWine will carry over to next spring's primary.