Ritenauer: ‘I will consider’ auditor position

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer said he will consider a run for the Ohio State Auditor’s Office in 2018.

Ritenauer spent part of this week in Philadelphia, where the Democratic National Convention is being held for the party to nominate Hillary Clinton as its presidential candidate.

On July 27, Ritenauer confirmed his interest

in the state level post, although he also cautioned he has not made a final decision on it yet. The news first was reported by Cleveland.com reporter Henry Gomez, who is covering the convention.

“People have asked, they’ve inquired, they’ve encouraged,” Ritenauer said. “I was asked to consider it, and I will consider it.”

He attributed the political chatter to a number of factors.

As Lorain deals with financial problems, Ritenauer has become a vocal critic of Columbus, where state leaders have cut Local Government Funding for Lorain and communities around Ohio. Ritenauer also has become vice president of the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association. Ohio Democratic leaders also have a main street initiative to find candidates to run for positions such as mayor and county commission and to move into state offices, Ritenauer said. Ohio’s state level executive offices are up for election in 2018.

“With all that mentioned, it’s certainly got the talk and chatter around the convention hotel,” the mayor said. “I think that has naturally had people ask the question.”

Ritenauer, 31, is in his second term as the chief executive officer of Lorain. He has a master’s degree in political science from the University of Akron.

He also has studied accounting and aims to take the examination required to become a certified public accountant, ideally within the year.

On a personal note, Ritenauer also was married this year.

“It’s flattering, but ultimately it’s a couple years away,” Ritenauer said about a run for state office. “I’m going to think about it and that’s it for now.”

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost, a Republican, in November 2014 was elected to his second term in office. He earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University and his juris doctor from Capital University.

For years, Lorain languished under the auditor’s “fiscal watch” designation due to financial problems. Yost in 2013 visited Lorain to announce the city was being removed from the fiscal watch category.

Ritenauer