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Richard Cordray, who lost his seat as Ohio attorney general to Mike DeWine in 2010, is "looking forward to a rematch" in a 2018 race with higher stakes.
Cordray has to contend with six other Democrats before the May 8 primary election for Ohio governor, and sitting attorney general DeWine has two other Republicans to fend off since Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted joined his ticket as lieutenant governor.
But Cordray seemed confident his name recognition, ability to raise money and Ohioans' memories of his time in state office will carry him through.
"I have a strong message. I am the candidate for governor with the right vision and I have a track record that proves I deliver results," Cordray said.
DeWine's campaign spokesman Ryan Stubenrauch said DeWine hasn't narrowed his focus on the Democratic field completely on Cordray.
"The six Democrats running for governor will have to fight among themselves to figure out who is the most like Elizabeth Warren or Barack Obama," Stubenrauch said.
Out of all the Democratic candidates, Cordray, of Grove City, has the closest ties to the former president and Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, who offered him a heartfelt endorsement for the seat.
Cordray resigned as a director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last month, a position he was appointed to by Obama with the support of Warren.
About 48,000 votes separated DeWine and Cordray in the 2010 race. DeWine won with 47.5 percent of the votes, while Cordray took 46.3 percent. Two other men were in the race.
Also running for the Democratic nomination is Dave Kiefer, former Wayne County commissioner; Bill O'Neill, justice of the Ohio Supreme Court; Connie Pillich, former state representative; Joe Schiavoni, state senator from Boardman; Betty Sutton, former U.S. representative; and Nan Whaley, mayor of Dayton.
On the Republican side, it's DeWine, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci.
A spokeswoman for the Ohio Democratic Party said the party's ticket is still far from decided.
"Ohio Democrats are committed to an open, transparent primary process, where our candidates are able to share their agenda for putting Ohio back on the right track. This race is wide open, and we look forward to a great conversation between our candidates and the voters of Ohio about the future of our state over the next few months," said Kirstin Alvanitakis.
Cordray, the former Ohio treasurer who was elected to replace Marc Dann as attorney general in 2008, said he has demonstrated his ability to raise money in past statewide elections and is confident his strong "kitchen table" driven message is sure to reach voters who appreciate the work he did in his latest post.
The five-time "Jeopardy" winner held a meet and greet Thursday at V2 Wine Bar and Trattoria by Vernon in Youngstown to introduce himself to local media and Democrats.
The flight of state dollars from local communities under the John Kasich administration, something lamented by officials all over Trumbull County, will come to an end under a Cordray administration, he said.
"I will stop the war on local government and instead partner with the local governments to solve problems in a practical way. That is my way, that is our way, the Ohio way of doing things -- we bring people together, we don't pit them against each other," Cordray said.
Not sending local governments the cash they help the state accrue is like "tying one of their hands behind their back," especially during a crisis like the opioid epidemic, Cordray said. The Republican-driven reduction that led to a multi-billion-dollar state rainy-day fund made it harder for communities across the state to respond to their constituents, Cordray said.
Stubenrauch said DeWine, who started his career as a county prosecutor, "understands the realities faced by local governments."
"(DeWine) has talked about some areas of local government funding, like children's services, where additional state funding may be needed," Stubenrauch said.
Cordray said he believes he can win the support of voters in the Mahoning Valley because of his track record at the consumer protection bureau, were his team brought in nearly $12 billion for 30 million people in actions against financial institutions. Before he left the bureau, he also instituted rules against pay day lending institutes, he said.
Cordray said he saved jobs and homes in the Mahoning Valley when he held state office during the foreclosure crisis and during a hospital network sale.
When Cordray left the financial protection bureau, it led to a power struggle between Cordray's appointed interim replacement Leandra English and President Donald Trump's selection of his budget director, Mick Mulvaney.
Mulvaney, given approval by a judge to act as director until the matter is settled in court, has started to pull back the bureau's oversight and investigatory operations since Cordray's departure.
Knowing his time as a director was coming to a close, Cordray said, he finished as much as he could in the bureau after building it up as a "powerful force for good."
"I was only going to be able to serve a few more months in that position, so I worked hard to finish some of the work," Cordray said. "I saw a big fight brewing in Ohio for the governor's race, and thought this is where I needed to be."
As governor, Cordray said he wants work on issues that make life for everyday Ohioans more difficult, like he did at the bureau.
He said he'd like to make college on every level more affordable and nearly free, if not completely free, at the community college level. Cordray said he wants people in every type of job, no matter their hours, to feel more secure and to help residents plan for retirement.
Ohio could do better with workforce development, too, Cordray said, and he would like to ensure the people have the right training for the types of jobs open in the state. Cordray said more of his policy ideas will come to light in time.
And it is too early to speculate about a running mate, Cordray said, but he is going to talk to a lot of people and think about it carefully.
Shortly after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, Cordray served as clerk for U.S. Supreme Court justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy.