TL;DR: Steve Dettelbach – the Democratic nominee for Ohio Attorney General – secured three big endorsements this month from key newspapers in Ohio: The Toledo Blade, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and the Akron Beacon Journal.

The support for Dettelbach emphasized key themes from the campaign focused on why Steve Dettelbach is the best choice for AG in November:

1. Steve’s experience as a prosecutor, which will allow him to aggressively fight against human trafficking and combat the opioid epidemic.
2. Steve’s record of battling back corruption on both sides of the aisle is needed to clean up the statehouse in Ohio.

Speaking to Dettelbach’s experience tackling crime, the Toledo Blade says:

“As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Dettelbach handled high-profile cases involving violent crime, immigration, drugs, and guns with demonstrable skill — he compiled a conviction rate close to 98 percent.”

“As attorney general, he has said he would seek to bolster Ohio’s sex trafficking laws. He makes a strong case that protecting children requires aggressive enforcement of human trafficking, rigorous charter school oversight, and prosecution of the opioid epidemic, whether going after drug dealers or the pharmaceutical industry.”

The Blade adds that when it comes to the culture of corruption in Columbus, “a fresh broom is needed. Mr. Dettelbach, in addition to a stellar record as a federal prosecutor, would bring a fresh broom.”

Out of Cleveland, The Plain Dealer states that Yost’s failed handling of the ECOT charter school scandal disqualifies him from serving as AG:

“As auditor for the last eight years, Yost is in the dock for not more aggressively investigating ECOT for the estimated tens of millions of dollars it overcharged the state by cooking the books on online attendance — even after a whistleblower notified Yost’s office that skullduggery was afoot. “

The Plain Dealer’s warning against Yost is strong, “We can’t look past those errors in judgment, and voters should not, either.”

In their endorsement of Steve Dettelbach, The Akron Beacon Journal asserts that there is little doubt that Dettelbach serve the AG post well:

“For more than six years, Dettelbach served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. He knows organization and how to set priorities. He won praise for his conduct of the office, among the steeper challenges the federal effort to repair the Cleveland police department.”

The Beacon Journal also reminds readers of Steve Dettelbach’s tough record on corruption and Yost, and the GOP, failures on ECOT:

“[Dettelbach] would bring fresh perspectives and independence to the cozy Statehouse culture, long dominated by Republicans, who championed charter schools and then saw a scandal unfold involving the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, big public money going to the online charter school under false pretenses.”

The message is clear: Dave Yost failed to hold powerful interests accountable, and Yost can’t be trusted to look out for everyday Ohio communities and families. Steve Dettelbach has the experience, values, and commitment to law that will keep Ohio families safe; and clean up the culture of corruption in Columbus.