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Mike DeWine started his career as a County Prosecutor. “Mike, in his heart, has always been a Prosecutor,” says his wife Fran. “Every problem that exists in your county eventually comes across the Prosecutor’s desk,” DeWine says. “Mike’s career has always been about children and families and law and order.”

In the Ohio state legislature, DeWine wrote and passed into law Ohio’s first truly tough drunk driving law.  “We lost a little seven year-old boy in our community — Justin Beason — who was killed by a driver who had been drinking and had a previous DUI.  Justin’s grandfather came to me, asking me to protect other children and families.”  Out of this tragedy came a new, much tougher DUI law.

As Prosecutor, DeWine had seen violent offenders get off with light sentences.  Out of that experience, he changed the law to add extra-time for those who use a gun to commit a crime.  He continued to protect victims through his work in the U.S Congress, where he received numerous awards from victim rights organizations.  And, as Ohio Lieutenant Governor, DeWine worked to reform our parole system so that violent offenders remained locked up.

“In the U.S. Senate, I promoted the emerging DNA technology, establishing and expanding a truly national database for DNA, fingerprint, and ballistics information, so that violent offenders — no matter where they traveled — could be caught and prosecuted.”  DeWine specifically targeted funds to Ohio’s crime lab — the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation — to keep our families safer.

While others were on the sidelines, Mike DeWine has, for over 30 years, fought to protect the unborn.  He was one of a handful of U.S. Senators to lead the charge to ban the horrific partial-birth abortion practice.  DeWine wrote and pushed for passage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which for the first time, created a federal law recognizing that an unborn child is a separate victim when the mother is attacked.  And, he wrote the “DeWine Amendment” each Congress to prohibit federal tax dollars from being used to pay for insurance to provide abortion coverage.  The Ohio Right to Life PAC has endorsed DeWine for Attorney General because of his leadership and his consistent 100% pro-life record.

Mike DeWine’s concern for children and families led him to work in the Senate to fight against global HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. He and Fran have traveled to Haiti nearly 20 times, where they have helped to build and create a school and feeding program in one of the poorest slums in the world.  The school is run by an organization called Hands Together www.handstogether.org and is named in honor of their daughter, Becky, who was killed in an automobile accident in 1993.

DeWine has been a champion for veterans and their families and active duty servicemen and women.  “The widow of a service man came to me and told me she was worried for her small children because their medical care would soon run out.  I was appalled to learn that children of those who die in service to our country were denied medical care three years after the death of the parent serving.   I worked to change the law, and today these kids have health care coverage.”  Ohio Veterans United has given Mike DeWine their endorsement for Attorney General.

Mike DeWine believes that the Second Amendment guarantees individual citizens the right to own and bear arms.  As Attorney General, DeWine will work to protect that right. “I believe that the second amendment of the Constitution provides for an individual right to own and bear arms.  As Attorney General, I will work to expand reciprocity with other states so an Ohioan with a concealed carry permit can travel without worry from state to state.”  Additionally, DeWine, who, as a child started hunting and fishing with his dad, has worked vigorously throughout his career to increase wildlife habitat and to improve the quality of our streams and lakes.

Always a strong supporter of education, DeWine led the successful fight, against strong Democrat opposition, for the first school vouchers program for impoverished children in the District of Columbia.  He believes that choice in education is a key to promoting success.

Michael DeWine was born on January 5, 1947, in Springfield, Ohio, and grew up in Yellow Springs.  As the son of parents and grandson of grandparents who ran a small agricultural business, he spent his youth and early adult life, working in the fields and the mill, learning the value of hard work.  He married his high school sweetheart Frances Struewing while both were students at Miami University.

After graduating from Miami, DeWine attended Ohio Northern Law School, and was awarded his JD degree in 1972.  The DeWines have resided in Cedarville Township since Mike graduated from law school.  They attend St. Paul’s Catholic Church and are the parents of eight children: Patrick, Jill, Rebecca, John, Brian, Alice, Mark, and Anna.  Fran and Mike are now the grandparents of 13 grandchildren.

Learn more at mikedewine.com