Watch live: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to give State of the State address Wednesday

When Gov. Mike DeWine delivers his State of the State address to state lawmakers on Wednesday, he'll do so as the Ohio Republican Party's standard bearer who is out-of-step with his own party.

DeWine will enter the Ohio House chamber with the pomp and circumstance that comes with the event − crisp flags presented by an honor guard, printed programs, and polite applause. And it should be a friendly crowd for him − the GOP holds big majorities in both the House and Senate.

But DeWine has been at odds with conservative legislators, who opted to override two of his vetoes in the past four months. Lawmakers didn't want local governments to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco and they wanted to restrict medical care for transgender kids.

DeWine is a social conservative who opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and as attorney general he fought gay marriage all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But on other issues, DeWine is more centrist that many Ohio Republicans.

After saying he'd stay out of the fray for weeks, DeWine endorsed state Sen. Matt Dolan in the 2024 GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Republican voters picked Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno over Dolan.

DeWine is one of the last mainstream, old school Republicans to hold statewide office in Ohio.

It'll be DeWine's fourth State of the State address before the Ohio General Assembly, even though he's been governor for six years. He canceled his 2020 and 2021 addresses due to the COVID pandemic. DeWine declined to give any hints on what he'll say this year. In addresses, he has urged action on some of his favorite topics: mental health, environmental protection, public safety and kids.

Who is Mike DeWine?

DeWine, 77, grew up in Greene County, where his family owned a seed and twine business. He married his childhood sweetheart, Frances Struewing, whom he met in the first grade. The couple raised eight children — including Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine.

DeWine's political career spans nearly 50 years. He has been Greene County prosecutor, state lawmaker, lieutenant governor, member of Congress, U.S. Senator, state attorney general and governor.

After leading Ohio through the pandemic, DeWine won a second term as governor, winning 85 of 88 counties in 2022.

With a little less than three years left in office, DeWine will likely continue pushing for policies that improve public safety, environmental protection, mental health services and child development.

You can watch the State of the State address here starting at noon. Also check back for live updates.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to deliver 2024 state of the state address