Congresswoman bows out of 2014 Ohio governor bid

COLUMBUS (AP) — A former northeast Ohio congresswoman has decided not to run for governor in 2014.

Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton tells The Plain Dealer of Cleveland that after careful consideration she has decided not to challenge Republican Gov. John Kasich.

Sutton thanked supporters in an email sent to the newspaper today.

Ohio’s new congressional maps drew Sutton, of Copley Township, into a district with Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth. Renacci won the pair’s faceoff last fall.

Sutton’s decision makes Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald the only Democrat formally exploring a run against Kasich.

Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, who once said he’d consider seeking the governorship, has not yet ruled out a 2014 campaign. He currently serves as President Barack Obama’s consumer watchdog.