"We're in the fog of war," DeWine said during the March 17, 2020 press conference.
But candidates, many of whom had been campaigning for months, expressed opposition to the extension and pushing the primary back to April 25.
Bars, restaurants and schools were ordered to close while large gatherings were prohibited, and there was uncertainty in moving forward as the state began dealing with an outbreak that has lasted well into 2021.
Stress was high
Last March 16, Charlie Schwochow was a day away from challenging Kay Reiter in the Republican primary for a Sandusky County Commission seat.
As he was making plans for election night, Schwochow and other politicians were thrown a curve ball as the governor declared it was not safe to hold the primary.