COLUMBUS, Ohio — The county auditor in Columbus is joining the race for Ohio treasurer, becoming the second Republican to do so.
Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo launched his campaign Thursday, describing himself as a fiscal conservative who wants to be in what he calls "a new generation of conservative leadership" in Ohio.
Mingo faces 43-year-old state Rep. Robert Sprague, of Findlay, in a Republican primary next year. No Democrat has entered the race to replace Treasurer Josh Mandel, who's running for U.S. Senate.
The 45-year-old Mingo tells Cleveland.com that if he's elected, he'd start a program to discourage use of high-interest "payday" lenders. He also says he'd aim to get every local government participating in an existing program that allows them to post their expenses online for public review.
