Seth A. Richardson

Republican Mike DeWine, Democrat Richard Cordray and Libertarian Travis Irvine appeared together before the cleveland.com/Plain Dealer editorial board Thursday seeking an endorsement in the Ohio governor's race. (Green Party candidate Constance Gadell-Newton chose to come in separately for an interview.)

DeWine, the Ohio attorney general, and Cordray, former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were the main combatants, clashing on issues including health care, local government funding and how to fight the opioid epidemic. Here are some highlights from the interview.

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Issue 1 - the pro and con

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DeWine called Issue 1, which Cordray supports, "totally irresponsible." The constitutional amendment on the November ballot would reduce penalties for drug possession and emphasize treatment over prison. DeWine noted that three-fourths of drug related deaths are from fentanyl and claimed that people possessing the deadly drug could be charged with a misdemeanor with no jail time.

Cordray said DeWine, in his eight years as attorney general had done nothing to address the opioid crisis, and that Ohio was the worst state in the nation for increases in deaths due to fentanyl abuse. "Anything that changes what we are doing now will be a step forward," Cordray said.

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Remember Willie Horton?

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Cordray accused DeWine of running attack ads against him in the vein of "Willie Horton." The infamous ad was used by Republican George H.W. Bush in the 1988 presidential campaign to portray Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. Dukakis was governor of Massachusetts when Horton was released on a weekend prison furlough and ended up committing assault, robbery and rape. DeWine, in turn, accused Cordray of lying about him.

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Medicaid and pre-existing conditions

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DeWine said he has a history of supporting protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Cordray took issue with that, citing DeWine's court fight against Obamacare, which guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions. The two also butted heads on the Medicaid expansion that was part of Obamacare, with DeWine vowing to improve the program and Cordray accusing him of planning to shrink it.

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Rape kits

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DeWine touted his work to get 12,000 rape kits tested. Cordray interjected, saying he put together a working group that laid the groundwork for the effort.

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Irvine gets his chance

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In Irvine's closing statement, he asked both DeWine and Cordray to stop bickering and recognize their positive steps in testing the rape kits. He asked them to shake hands, which they did. He then quipped, "If I could do that, imagine what I could do in the state legislature."