Ohio treasurer candidates would expand office’s role

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Two candidates for Ohio treasurer have very different ideas about how they’d run the office.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Democrat Rob Richardson wants to take a more expanded and active role as treasurer, while Republican Robert Sprague (sprag) takes a more traditional, but updated, view of the job.

Richardson is a securities litigation attorney from Cincinnati. Sprague is a four-term state representative from Findlay. Both are vying to succeed Republican Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (man-DEHL’), who’s term-limited.

Richardson says he’d use the office to oppose state spending and investment in private prisons and for-profit charter schools. He says he’d also push drug companies to pay more to fight the opioid crisis.

Sprague said he wants to spur more private investment in the epidemic through the use of “social impact bonds.”