Top Ohio Democrats are reportedly pressuring TV host Jerry Springer to launch a bid for Ohio governor in 2018.

Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland told Business Insider he discussed a possible bid with Springer.

Springer "certainly would start out with wide name recognition," Strickland said, adding he's a "superb communicator."

"I think he has a very strong ability to communicate what I think is the heart of the Democratic message," Strickland continued.

A state Democratic leader told Business Insider that Springer recently said he would consider entering the race if he was "needed by the party."

Springer could connect with working-class voters who watch "The Jerry Springer Show," as well as being able to fund his own campaign, according to his supporters.

Springer, who calls himself a "populist, liberal progressive," told the Cincinnati Enquirer in February that he has growing support in Ohio's rural and working-class communities that voted for Trump in the 2016 election.

"What's probably giving it more juice this time is the Trump victory," Springer said in February about rumors that he's returning to politics.

Before becoming a TV personality, Springer was a politician in southern Ohio. He served as a member of the Cincinnati City Council until he resigned in 1974 after he confessed to paying for a prostitute. He reportedly wrote a check as payment.

A few years later, he was elected as the city's mayor.