Democratic Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune plans a campaign swing around the state before deciding whether to go forward with his run for governor.
Portune says he is making what he calls an "aggressive swing" to assess whether he can mount a successful challenge. He plans stops over the next week in cities including Athens, Lima and Lorain. He said he had been hearing from rank-and-file Democrats about their desire for a choice other than Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, who has been running for months. Portune said he wouldn't file by the February 5 deadline if he determined there wasn't enough statewide support. Governor John Kasich has no GOP challenger at this point.