Potential endorsement vote in Montgomery angers some in GOP
Husted possibly to gain backing of county party.
A faction of theMontgomeryCountyRepublicanParty is pushing for an endorsement tonight of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted for governor, a move that is unpopularwith other party leaders, according to Rob Scott, senior campaign advisor to one of the other three candidates: U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth.
“There are a bunch of people in the county partywho are verymuch against this,” said Scott, who is vicemayor of Kettering and a member of the party’s central committee.
Husted’s campaignspokesman Josh Eck said he was unaware of the plan to vote, but added, “I want the endorsement of all the county Republican parties. We are appreciative to hear the support that he has.”
The Williams County GOP has already endorsed Ohio Attorney General MikeDeWine Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted
Husted, Eck said.
Husted, Renacci, Ohio AttorneyGeneral MikeDeWine and Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor are all running for the Republican nomination in the 2018 election. The primary is May 8.
TheMontgomery County party typically does interviews to screen candidates before doing endorsements. Those interviews have not occurred, so a vote would be against the regular order, Scott said.
Also, he said, the agenda for the today’s central committee meeting does not include a vote on endorsing in that race, although Husted is scheduled to speak along with State Rep. Dorothy Pelanda, R-Marysville, who is running for secretary U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth
of state.
Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman Phil Plummer, who has the authority to allow or disallow the endorsement vote, could not be reached for comment by this newspaper’s print deadline. Taylor’s spokesman also could not be reached.
“I think that the full body of the central committee should hear fromall the candidates and the county party should follow procedure and process when it comes to endorsements of candidates,” Scott said.
Dave Luketic, spokesman forDeWine’s campaign, said the Lucas County Republican Party already endorsed DeWine but many are likely to wait until after the filing deadline for the race next year.
“Weareworkingeverysingle committee in every single county for any type of endorsement,” Luketic said.
AttheMontgomeryCounty GOP meeting DeWine will have “a lot of supporters,” Luketic said.
“Mike DeWine enjoys a large support base inMontgomery County,” Luketic said. “Recent polling shows it to be one of the strongest areas in the state.”
The meeting is at 6 p.m. at Celebration Banquet Center II, 7615 Poe Ave., Harrison Twp. Candidates for the Democratic nomination include Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, former state representative Connie Pillich of Cincinnati, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, and former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton of Akron.
The winner will replace Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republicanwho is term-limited.