Former Rep. Betty Sutton (D.) has been announced as Richard Cordray's gubernatorial running mate in this year's Ohio election.
Cordray, the former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), had announced his candidacy for governor in December of last year. Sutton will run to be his lieutenant governor, first in the Democratic primary, and should they become the party's nominees, in the general election.
Sutton had announced her own candidacy for governor last March, but decided to team up with Cordray in an effort to succeed the current governor, term-limited Republican Gov. John Kasich. The announcement came at a diner in Akron on Wednesday, cleveland.com reports.
"This is just our first step to building a larger team that will be a leadership team for the future of Ohio," Cordray said. "It will not just be Betty and me, but others who will join us to fulfill the high expectations of all Ohioans."
Sutton did not say why she had ceded the top spot to Cordray.
"The truth of the matter is that nobody has done more to stand up for everyday Ohioans than Rich Cordray, and we are not afraid to take on the tough fights," Sutton said. "We'll take on the special interests that have been running things too long in Columbus."
Despite the two candidates joining forces, the Ohio Democratic Party has not endorsed anybody yet.
Even together, the two Democrats are expected to face fundraising issues. Republican lieutenant governor candidate and incumbent Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted outraised the entire Democratic field by himself. Husted is now the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General and a former senator.
Sutton lost her congressional seat after redrawn congressional districts pitted her against Rep. Jim Renacci in 2012, who then defeated her.