As Presidential candidate Gov. John Kasich launched a major statewide TV and digital ad campaign in his home state of Ohio today, the Ohio Republican Party began their offensive to rally support for their Governor in a move that will surely anger conservatives and opposing campaigns.
American Action News has obtained a copy of a mailer paid for by the Ohio Republican Party encouraging Republicans to “Use This to Support Ohio Republicans” and asking them to vote early now or to show up at the polls on March 15th to support John Kasich and other Ohio politicians. It’s clear the State GOP is trying to confuse voters into voting for their current Governor once again as it makes no mention of any other candidates seeking the nation’s highest office. See the mailer below.
Side B:
The Ohio GOP’s move to publicly support a candidate for President over another is largely unprecedented by a state Republican Party organization. In the past, the party institutions exist to build infrastructure such voter files, raise money, identify volunteers, and open grassroots offices across the country so that the primary victors can utilize those resources to win a general election.
In a Q&A session with Sean Hannity in front of thousands Conservative Political Action Conference attendees this past weekend, Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus said:
“Whoever the nominee of the party is going to get the full backing and 100% support of the Republican Party.”
“We don’t take sides regardless of what you may think or read.”
“We build a lot of the things that you may think are kind of boring like ground game, data, engagement, turnout, absentee ballot programs, voter identification programs.”
“We build our operation around the Republican National Committee that one of the candidates plugs into.”
So why exactly is the Ohio Republican Party – a Republican National Committee affiliate — involving itself in the hotly contested GOP Presidential Primary?