Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has spent much of his tenure in office with a rather high approval rating. Including, in many cases, his policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

But some, particularly the pro-Trump wing of the Republican Party, have taken issue with DeWine, who is himself, a Republican. In his re-election bid, DeWine has drawn a high-profile challenger in the Republican primary.

Jim Renacci announces his candidacy

Axios reports that former U.S. Representative Jim Renacci is running in the Republican primary for governor of Ohio. The next general election for the office is slated for 2022.

Renacci's biggest apparent campaign angle is, indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic. With his official campaign launch, Renacci has also tried to link DeWine to recent corruption cases in Ohio. Including that of former Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Larry Householder. A case that has thus far not seemed to involve DeWine.

At least two other candidates have also entered the Ohio Republican gubernatorial primary. However, neither have anywhere close to the name recognition of Mike DeWine or Jim Renacci.

On the Democratic side, at least two candidates have formally entered the race. They are Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. But, at this point, the Republican candidate is heavily favored to win the 2022 general election —no matter who the parties ultimately select as their nominees.

DeWine has had a storied political career

Mike DeWine has had a significant career in Politics and comes from a political family. His son, Pat, is a justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. A cousin, Kevin, is a former state representative and state party chair.

DeWine was elected governor in 2018. His predecessor, Republican John Kasich, was term-limited from running again.

He's also a former lieutenant governor of Ohio. Having been chosen by future Governor and prominent U.S. Senator George Voinovich. DeWine's elected career began as prosecutor of Greene County, which partially includes Dayton. It was followed by being elected to the Ohio Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. In the latter, he represented Ohio's 7th District.

In 1992, DeWine ran for the U.S. Senate, losing to incumbent Democrat John Glenn. He ran again in 1994. The Democratic incumbent, Howard Metzenbaum, was retiring. DeWine defeated Democrat Joel Hyatt, Metzenbaum's son-in-law, in the general election. He was re-elected in a landslide in 2000 before losing in 2007 to Democratic U.S. Representative Sherrod Brown.

In 2010, DeWine was elected as attorney general of Ohio. He was re-elected in 2014, again in a landslide.

Renacci has run for governor before

Jim Renacci was also a candidate in the 2018 Ohio Republican gubernatorial primary. Which DeWine ultimately won. Renacci dropped out of that race to pursue a U.S. Senate seat, notes Cleveland.com. He won the nomination but was defeated by Brown in the general election.

In the past, Renacci was city council president and later mayor of Wadsworth, Ohio, near Akron and Cleveland. In 2010, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 16th District. He was re-elected three times. In 2020, Renacci was named chair of the Medina County, Ohio chapter of the Republican Party.