Ohio governor's race: former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich officially enters Democratic primary

COLUMBUS - Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich officially announced his bid for governor Wednesday in the Cleveland area.

Kucinich, 71, has a long career in Ohio and national politics after serving as Cleveland's youngest mayor and running for president twice in 2004 and 2008. His appeal to progressives and supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders could help his cause.

His contrarian positions, such as meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and praising President Donald Trump's dark inauguration speech, could hurt him with Democrats.

Here's how Kucinich's gubernatorial campaign could measure up.

Pros

1. Well-known in The Land

Kucinich hails from a reliably Democratic stronghold: Northeast Ohio.

He was first elected to office as a Cleveland City Councilman at age 23 and became the city's youngest mayor at 31 years old. Since then, he served as a state senator and ran for president twice.

Much like former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton and state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, Kucinich could benefit from being well-known in that Democratic area.

2. Proud progressive

Kucinich was an early opponent of the Iraq War and encouraged fellow Democrats to oppose it as well.

At a time when prominent Democrats, such as Hillary Clinton, voted to send Americans to war in Iraq, Kucinich wasn't afraid to stand alone. (He even tried to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for lying to Americans about the war.)

Kucinich also opposed the Patriot Act.

He and U.S. Rep. John Conyers introduced a single-payer healthcare for all proposal.

These positions could win Kucinich support with Democrats looking for someone to challenge existing conventions.

Cons

1. What time is it?

Kucinich filed paperwork to designate a treasurer to run for governor Monday. Kucinich has just under a month to find a running mate and collect 1,000 valid signatures needed by Feb. 7. Then, he must raise the money and support that will convince Democrats that he's the best choice over six other candidates.

If former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rich Cordray was cutting it close in December, Kucinich will face an even tighter clock.

2. Assad, Trump and Flynn, oh my!

Kucinich, a Democrat, praised GOP President Trump's inauguration speech, calling it "GREAT."

He also met with the Syrian president, considered a war criminal, during a visit to Damascus with Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Asked about the decision on FOX News, Kucinich said Americans have a choice.

"You can let ISIS set up camp in Damascus and use it to change the entire region, which means destruction of Christians and Muslims who are of another sect and also the concomitant effect on Israel that is inevitable if that happens, or you can try to stabilize the region and let the people of Syria make their own decisions about who their leaders are going to be."

Kucinich also praised Trump's efforts to work with Russia.

"I think it's important that President Trump has moved forward to build a relationship with Russia," Kucinich said in the Fox News interview.

Kucinich also was concerned that U.S. intelligence intercepted former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's phone calls with Russian officials. Flynn resigned last February after he had contacted a Russian ambassador before Trump took office. He also lied to senior Trump officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about the interactions.

Flynn was recently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Will these stances hurt Kucinich in a Democratic primary? Ohio will vote May 8.