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After months of talk and speculation, one Ohio Democrat has taken the first step toward a challenge of Gov. John Kasich: Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, who many consider the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, announced Monday he is launching an exploratory committee to run for governor.

FitzGerald has spent recent weeks politicking throughout the state and assembling a campaign team, so his announcement comes as no surprise. The campaign theme in his introductory video is also not a shocker -- a message of reform, citing his time as an FBI agent, prosecutor and corruption-busting executive. "Do we have to settle for a state government that robs our communities?" FitzGerald asks in the video. "If you're tired of a state government taking its cues from the wealthy and well-connected instead of the middle class, join me."

While much of early press has gone to FitzGerald, some Ohio Democrats say Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray could return to the Buckeye State and mount a formidable candidacy if Senate Republicans uphold their pledge to block his renomination.