Ohio works because of the people who show up every day.

Born and raised in Akron, Mike Cole earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The University of Akron and remains committed to practical, people-first leadership. As an independent candidate for Governor, he believes government should be accountable, transparent, and focused on delivering real results for Ohioans. He’s spent his career working in community-based corrections, workforce development, and small business environments. In these roles, he has seen firsthand how systems work, where they fail, and where people fall through the cracks.

Mike’s approach is straightforward: fix what’s broken, strengthen what’s working, and stop letting everyday Ohioans carry the cost of inefficiency, delay, and political gridlock.

He’s running without party backing because Ohio’s biggest challenges don’t fit neatly into party talking points. Rising costs, public safety, addiction, housing, infrastructure, and access to opportunity demand solutions that are serious, measurable, and focused on long-term stability, not headlines.

This campaign is built around restoring trust by delivering results, expanding opportunity across urban, suburban, and rural communities, and creating systems that work for people who do everything right and still struggle to get ahead.

Ohio doesn’t need more noise.

It needs leadership that shows up, listens, and follows through.