The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

How Ohio’s GOP governor sells public health: Don’t call it that.

April 10, 2024 at 3:16 p.m. EDT
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visits Campbell in March to announce a grant for community health centers for low-income children in Appalachia. (Da'Shaunae Marisa for The Washington Post)
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Many Republicans across the country have long dismissed public health initiatives as “nanny state” overreach, with the coronavirus pandemic only further politicizing government’s efforts to save lives.

But one GOP governor — Ohio’s Mike DeWine — says he’s hit on a strategy to get conservative lawmakers and taxpayers to pay attention: focus on the children.