Jerry Springer 'considering' run for Ohio governor, friend says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Television personality Jerry Springer at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 25, 2016. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson )
Jerry Springer, the former Cincinnati mayor best known to a generation of Americans for his eponymous tabloid talk show, is weighing a run for the Democratic nomination to be Ohio's next governor, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday.
Jene Galvin, who co-hosts a weekly podcast with Springer, told the Enquirier "There have been [those] who have asked him to run for governor, and he is considering it and will decide that pretty soon.
"He’s about done figuring it out, but he had to give some serious thought to it first," Galvin added, telling the paper that Springer would make a final decision in the next two weeks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Enquirer also reported that Springer spoke to prominent Ohio Democrats last week and asked them "Is it too late to enter the Ohio governor's race?"
Before going into television, Springer had a checkered political career. In between a failed run for Congress in 1970 and an unsuccessful bid to be Ohio's governor in 1982, he served on Cincinnati's city council. He resigned in 1974 amid a prostitution scandal, but was re-elected to his seat the following year. In 1977, Springer was chosen to serve as Cincinnati's mayor for one year on a rotating basis.
Springer has hosted the syndicated "Jerry Springer" show since 1991. The program is known for its frequently outrageous subject matter, brawling among guests and for closing with Springer's catchprase, "Take care of yourself, and each other."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ohioans will vote for a new governor in 2018. Current incumbent and 2016 GOP presidential candidate John Kasich is prevented by law from seeking a third consecutive term.