New Ohio Governor Sworn in Using Stack of Nine Bibles

Steve Warren
01-16-2019

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Mike DeWine was officially sworn in as the 70th Governor of Ohio early Monday morning during a midnight ceremony at his farm located in Cedarville, ahead of a public inauguration which was held at the Statehouse later that same day. 

DeWine took the oath of office with his hand on a stack of nine family Bibles held by First Lady Fran DeWine, according to a media release. 

The Bibles used during the ceremony included: 

  • His late daughter, Becky DeWine's, childhood Bible
  • His great-grandmother Gertrude Budd's Bible
  • His grandmother Ruth Perkins Liddle's New Testament, given to her by her father, a minister, on her 18th birthday, 100 years ago.
  • His grandfather Albert Liddle's New Testament, issued to him by the United States Navy while serving during World War I.
  • His Aunt Mickey's (Elizabeth Ann DeWine Harwood's) Bible, given to her by her grandmother.
  • A New Testament that the Governor and First Lady acquired many years go in Jerusalem.
  • A Study Bible given to the Governor by Lloyd Ogilvie, chaplain of the United States Senate.
  • His mother, Jean DeWine's, Bible
  • The Governor and First Lady's Bible that Fran gave to Mike on their 10th wedding anniversary.

A spokesperson for the new governor told The Cincinnati Enquirer DeWine and his wife wanted each Bible to represent each of their eight children.

DeWine, a former senator from Ohio, is a devout Roman Catholic who identifies as pro-life, pro-children and pro-family. 

"Clearly, part of the teaching of our Church is, 'You should help others.' I have elected to do that through my life in public service," DeWine told the St. Anthony Messenger, a national Catholic magazine. 

Jon Husted also took the oath of office as Ohio's Lt. Governor, surrounded by family at the Riverside United Methodist Church in suburban Columbus where the family attends. His wife, Tina, held a family Bible as the oath was administered.

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of
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