Mike DeWine is a Republican politician and lawyer who has served as Ohio's governor since 2019. His earlier offices include Ohio attorney general, U.S. senator, lieutenant governor and U.S. representative. He began his public career as a Greene County prosecutor and an Ohio state senator. DeWine earned a bachelor's degree from Miami University in 1969 and a law degree from Ohio Northern University in 1972.
DI has documented statements by Mike DeWine on 2026 Midterm Elections, Law Enforcement, and License-Plate Surveillance, among other topics. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
Role at the time: Mike DeWine, sitting state governor
Defended or excused
Statement summary
DeWine defended Flock cameras as a routine investigative tool and called for action against abuses.
“There can be abuses. When there are abuses, we have to take action.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)New Ohio bill targets misuse of Flock surveillance camerasGovernor quotation and surrounding reader-policy discussion
Why we used this label
DeWine expressly defends the tool's usefulness and calls for action against misuse. His general accountability demand does not suspend his present support.
Ramaswamy's campaign defends an ad in which Amy Acton's estranged mother calls her a liar. Acton says Ramaswamy took advantage of her mother. Critics from both parties condemn the tactic, while Laura Loomer defends it.
Networked automated license-plate cameras can assemble searchable records of vehicle movements. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to ban the systems, keep them with limits, or defend them as investigative tools. This tracker separates outright bans from narrower restrictions.
