Bryan Haynes accepts his Ruby Award from Jim Bird at the Wayne County Jackson Day dinner on April 28. (photo courtesy of The Daily Record)

By BOBBY WARREN, The Daily Record

ORRVILLE — To become Ohio’s next governor, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald said he will have to run an issues-based, substantive campaign.

FitzGerald, 44, was the keynote speaker at the 158th consecutive Wayne County Jackson Day Dinner on Saturday at The Pines.

Growing up, FitzGerald’s parents taught him to work hard, not to forget where he came from, take care of his family and when he saw something wrong, try to fix it.

Well, FitzGerald said he saw something wrong in 2010 after Republican governors, like Ohio Gov. John Kasich, were elected and they started pursuing the same issues, like limiting collective bargaining. They got elected on a message of: The economy is bad, it’s the Democrats’ fault and Obamacare is bad and will ruin the country.

A recent poll shows the Democratic candidate is close to Kasich, FitzGerald said.

The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll from early April showed Kasich held a 46 percent-37 percent lead over FitzGerald, who announced Wednesday he is running for governor. The same poll showed Kasich also with more support than former state attorney general and current U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, 45 percent-38 percent.

Given 70 percent of the state does not know him, FitzGerald indicated the numbers are promising. “Kasich is in trouble,” he said, noting the incumbent governor has a much greater name recognition.

While voters agree with Kasich’s decision to expand Medicaid, FitzGerald said it shouldn’t be a surprise Republican lawmakers are not supporting it, especially after spending the past few years bashing health care reform.

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