‘We are people who will unite in the toughest of times:’ DeWine issues letter ahead of Election Day

Gov. Mike DeWine issued an open letter to Ohioans before Election Day encouraging them to vote and seek unity throughout the election season, especially as Ohio and the country continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

“In even calmer times, when we were less divided, rhetoric in the final throes of the top-of-the-ticket campaigns almost always have been hot, animated and somewhat exaggerated,” he said. “Today, however, we truly have a nation more divided than any of us can remember. It seems that many on each side genuinely feel our country will fall apart if the other side wins.”

“Today, and for some time to come, we also share a common enemy–one that cares not whether we voted for Donald Trump or Joe Biden; an enemy that is relentless and clearly on the march. This enemy has invaded our nation, stealing nearly 230,000 American lives and at least 5,300 Ohio lives — all on our own soil,” he said.

DeWine spoke in his letter of how there is more that pulls people together than tears them apart. He specifically discussed the coronavirus and how people come together in the face of a war or a disaster like a flood or tornado.

“As we confront this new enemy, time is not on our side. We must focus. We must rally together. And, in two days when this election is over, we must–as Ohioans–immediately pull together to fight it,” he said. “The stakes could not be higher.”

DeWine encouraged Congress to put together a bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill, but he also spoke about personal obligations.

“We all need to protect each other — our families, our friends, our neighbors, and Ohioans we don’t even know,” he said. “We must do this to keep the virus at bay until we get the vaccine. And when we do, we will need the voices of both parties emphasizing the importance of getting that vaccine out and of people choosing to receive it.”

He commended Ohioans for being a forward-looking people and shared how the people of Ohio are practical problem solvers, inventors, laborers and hard workers.

“Show Ohioans a problem — and we will show you a solution,” he said. “That’s what Ohioans do. That is who we are. We are people who unite in the toughest of times, because our shared bonds will always be stronger than our differences.”

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