By Joe Vardon

The Columbus Dispatch Friday September 20, 2013 6:02 AM

Charlie Earl last served in the Statehouse 30 years ago, completing a three-year stint in the Ohio House. He also ran as a Libertarian for Secretary of State in 2010.

A former Republican lawmaker says he has tea party support to run as a Libertarian for governor next year.

But Charlie Earl, 67, a retired college professor who announced his bid to challenge Republican Gov. John Kasich yesterday, supports legalizing marijuana and gay marriage social issues that conservatives (and Kasich) oppose.

Some speculate that a credible Libertarian candidate like Earl could eat into Kasichs base because of some anger toward the governor among tea partiers.

The government has no moral authority to determine who individuals can love, Earl said in an interview posted last week on the Findlay 9.12 Projects website. Governments have no hearts, no minds and no souls. Why should we trust them to make personal, moral choices for us?

In a brief interview with The Dispatch yesterday ahead of his campaign announcement in Tiffin, Earl said, Weve got tea- party support.

The disaffection, the dissatisfaction people have with both parties is palpable, Earl said.

The likely Democratic candidate in 2014 is Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald.

Read the rest here:

Libertarian Charlie Earl to enter Ohio gubernatorial race