Kasich’s backing a mixed blessing for GOP’s Taylor

Ohio’s lieutenant governor enters the 2018 race for the state’s top job with the promised backing of Gov. John Kasich.

Whether the endorsement of a leading detractor of President Donald Trump helps or hurts Republican Mary Taylor in her bid to lead the battleground state is unclear.

Taylor on Friday pledged to build on the accomplishments of the Kasich administration — righting the economy, reducing regulations, fighting opioid addiction, cutting taxes — all without mentioning the governor by name.

“Our progress is real, but we are not satisfied. We are scaling the mountain, but we are not yet at the summit. Now is not the time to rest and to wait,” she said at the City Club of Cleveland.

“Our state can be even greater. There are magnificent things we can do, stubborn problems we can solve, and individual lives we can help repair.”

Taylor, 51, of Green, is the final high-profile Republican expected to join the race to succeed the term-limited Kasich. The others are Attorney General Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Jon Husted and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, of Wadsworth.

Kasich’s backing could prove beneficial to Taylor amid the crowded field. He won Ohio’s Republican presidential primary last year with more votes than Democrats Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders and nearly as many as Trump and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio combined.

Yet more recent polling has found that Trump’s favorability exceeds Kasich’s among Ohio voters. Some were put off when the Republican governor clashed with Trump last year, refusing to endorse him, appear with him or attend the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he secured the nomination.