NEWS
Former Ohio politicians join forces to <a href="https://healthylife7.com/how-to-make-the-beach-your-gym/” title=”How to make the beach your gym”>make public health guide
Esther LaunsteinCincinnati Enquirer
July 15, 2026, 10:24 a.m. ET
Two of Ohio’s past political powerhouses formed an unlikely partnership with the goal of improving community health across the United States
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley teamed up on a national, bipartisan commission to create a guide for local public health leaders and elected officials to commit to five steps to improve public health collaboration
A national organization dedicated to public health, the de Beaumont Foundation, approached Kasich about leading the National Commission on Local Public Health Leadership following the COVID-19 pandemic. They wanted him to gauge Republican views on public health
“There was great concern that the Republicans didn’t want anything to do with public health − that they were really angry about it all. It turned out they weren’t,” Kasich said. “What they were concerned about was the public health people trying to make law or dictate to the decision makers what they should do.”
Kasich approached Cranley for the sake of bipartisanship, Kasich said. The two had worked together during their times in office to combat Ohio’s opioid crisis
“I like John (Cranley),” Kasich said. “I knew that it was important that you have all sides represented, both parties, different philosophies, so that you can actually solve a problem.”
Cranley said that he and Kasich had become friends over the years. “We’ve worked on issues in the past, whether we’ve always agreed or not. I think we put the common good first.”
