Mandel Backer Club for Growth Releases Ad Attacking Trump for Past Endorsements

In a surprising turn of events, backers of former Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel, currently running in a crowded and hotly-contested primary for U.S. Senate, released an ad bashing former President Donald Trump.

The Club for Growth, which has endorsed Mandel, released an ad questioning endorsements made by the former president, including that of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), just two weeks after Trump endorsed Mandel’s opponent J.D. Vance in the primary battle.

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Still Teflon: The Trump Comeback No One’s Talking About

Former President Donald Trump now enjoys the highest favorability rating among the seven U.S. political leaders tracked in the RealClearPolitics (RCP) polling average, marking a striking political transformation from where he was 15 months ago while leaving office.

Trump has a favorability rating of 45.8%, more than three points higher than President Joe Biden’s rating of 42.6%, according to the RCP average.

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Trump Jr. Shares Video Shredding Mandel for Establishment Ties

With the Trump family squarely in the camp of J.D. Vance, running for U.S. Senate in Ohio, Donald Trump Jr. shared a video of Vance’s main opponent lying about his involvement with “establishment Republicans.”

“Ohio friends – Meet the real @JoshMandelOhio. The Club for Chinese Growth backed establishment candidate in the #OHSen race,” Trump Jr. said in a Tweet, sharing the video. 

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Mandel Reacts to Trump’s Endorsement of Vance in Primary Race

After former President Donald Trump Friday endorsed J.D. Vance in Ohio’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race, Vance’s opponent and current leader in the polls reacted. 

“I continue to be a proud supporter of President Trump and the America First agenda. I look forward to earning his endorsement in the general election and working with him to defeat Tim Ryan in November,” said former Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel. 

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Trump Endorses J.D. Vance for U.S. Senate in Ohio

After months of speculation about whether former President Donald Trump would wade into the high profile U.S. Senate race in Ohio, Friday afternoon he released a statement endorsing author, attorney and former U.S. Marine J.D. Vance. 

“MAGA patriots from across the nation are set to deliver an election landside [sic] for Republicans that will serve as a devastating rebuke of the failures of Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” Trump said in a statement. “In the Great State of Ohio, the candidate most qualified and ready to win in November is J.D. Vance. We cannot play games. It is all about winning!”

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Strongsville GOP Leader: Why We Are Backing ‘Reliable Conservative’ Josh Mandel for Senate

The leader of the Strongsville GOP, Ohio’s largest grassroots Republican organization, told The Ohio Star why he, and his group, are backing former state treasurer Joshua A. Mandel in the fight for the Republican Senate nomination. “We had our endorsement meeting last month, and we had more than 150 members in attendance, and overwhelmingly we voted to endorse Josh Mandel,” said Shannon Burns, the president of the Strongsville GOP and a member of the Ohio Republican Party’s Central Committee. “There’s one clear reason why our members endorsed Josh Mandel,” Burns said. “He is the one truly reliable conservative in the race.” Burns said his members trust Mandel because he is a known quantity. He said other candidates had had both positive and negative views of President Donald J. Trump. “There are some good people in the race, but quite frankly, you just don’t know where they’re going to be — five minutes ago, they were anti-Trump, or five minutes ago, they were doing deals with China, but now they’re America First,” he said. “Josh has been a true — not just a reliable vote, but a reliable fighter and champion for conservative causes, since he was a councilman in Lyndhurst…

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Ohio Gov. DeWine and Minnesota Gov. Walz Issue Bipartisan Response to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Mike DeWine and Tim Walz

Two governors who serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan, presidentially-appointed Council of Governors – meant to give advice and opinions to the United States President’s Office along with heads of executive branch agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Friday denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin. Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) said the United States must stand with Ukraine because the two countries share the same values. “At the direction of President Vladimir Putin, Russian forces have invaded Ukraine in violation of international law. This is unacceptable, and all freedom-loving people should stand against this unprovoked invasion,” DeWine said in the release. “Ukraine has been a sovereign and independent state since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s.  The United States and Ukraine share common values including freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people.” Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) appeared to be more worried that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a threat to America’s national security. “We stand with Ukraine and condemn Russia for these unprovoked and unlawful attacks,” he said in the release. “We stand ready to…

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Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Slams Proponents of Intervention in Ukraine

Noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “an evil man,” U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance Tuesday slammed proponents of U.S. intervention in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

“The media and political elites are seething at me because I uttered aloud what everyone deep down knows is true: that the Russia-Ukraine border dispute has nothing to do with our national security, no American interest is served by our intervention, and that the obsession with Ukraine from our idiot leaders serves no function except to distract us from our actual problems,” Vance said in a press release. 

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Commentary: The Left’s Anti-Intellectual Problem

Last week in the Atlantic, David Graham took aim at smart conservative politicians who play dumb. He declares at the beginning of his piece, “This is the age of smart politicians pretending to be stupid.” As evidence, he mainly cites Gov. Ron DeSantis, senatorial candidates J.D. Vance and Eric Greitens, and Sen. Josh Hawley.

Graham argues that these men belie their impressive degrees from Ivy League universities by aligning themselves with the populist conservative movement in some capacity. DeSantis does not brag about COVID booster shots, Vance is critical of China and globalism, and Greitens and Hawley have doubts about the 2020 election. Surely, according to Graham, these must be poses to win over Trump supporters, not sincere positions stemming from valid objections. There’s just no way such educated people would actually believe what they’re pushing.

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Ohio U.S. Senate Candidate Vance Slams FDA for ‘Racialized’ COVID Therapeutic Distribution

JD Vance

Ohio U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance spoke with The Ohio Star Monday about anti-white discrimination in monoclonal antibody treatment for patients with COVID-19.

“You should not, in this country, have your fortune determined by your skin color,” he told The Star, noting the irony of having the discussion on Martin Luther King Jr. day. “It’s a fundamental principle of our Republic that we should not punish or reward people based on skin color, but we’re doing that right now.”

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Exclusive: J.D. Vance Launching Campaign Tour Thursday

J.D. Vance during tour

Author, attorney and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, will launch a statewide tour to connect with voters before this year’s primary election.

“The No BS Townhall Tour is about being honest with Ohioans and answering all of their questions directly,” Vance said. “Every day, we’re fed fake news by the corporate media and the ruling class they cover for. We’re going to correct the misinformation and answer the voters’ questions directly. Ohioans deserve no less, and I’m excited to kick off this statewide tour.”

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Senior Consultant to Gibbons’ Ohio Senate Campaign Mike Biondo: ‘We’re in a Very Good Position in This Race’

In an exclusive interview, the general consultant for Mike Gibbons’ campaign for the Ohio Republican Senate nomination explained to The Ohio Star the investment banker’s path to victory.

“If you take a look at any of the polls that have been released by any of the candidates, the one constant is Mike Gibbons has consistently been moving up,” said Michael G. Biondo, a partner in Ascent Strategic, who has held senior positions in national political campaigns, including serving as national senior advisor to Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign.

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Ohio GOP Insider: All Four Major Senate Hopefuls Could Get Trump’s Endorsement

Donald Trump waving

An Ohio Republican insider who held senior positions in Donald J. Trump’s 2016 and since then been a consultant for Republican Senate and gubernatorial races told The Ohio Star each of the top four candidates running for the 2022 GOP Senate nomination has a shot at Trump’s endorsement.

“I think each of these candidates can make an argument to give an endorsement. Every one of them, all the top four,” said the insider and Ohio native.

Joshua A. Mandel

Former state treasurer and Marine Iraq veteran Joshua A. Mandel is leading in all the polls, and he has recovered from his surprise dropping of the 2018 Senate race, which was supposed to be a rematch of with Democratic Sen. Sherrod C. Brown, who beat him 51 percent to Mandel’s 45 percent, he said.

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Pro-Mandel Club for Growth Pushes Second $500,000 Anti-Vance Ad Campaign for Cleveland in Ohio’s U.S. Senate Race

The Club For Growth Action Super PAC backing U.S. Senate candidate Joshua Mandel has unleashed a $500,000 ad campaign in Cleveland targeting Ohio GOP rival J.D. Vance.

The broadcast campaign doubles down on a $470,000 ad campaign from the Club for Growth also focused on Vance’s past negative views about former President Donald Trump spread among the Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo markets that ran from mid-October through Thanksgiving.

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U.S. Senate Hopeful J.D. Vance of Ohio Calls for AG Garland’s Resignation Amid Directive Against Protesting Parents

The campaign of U.S. Senate hopeful J.D. Vance of Ohio has called for U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to resign after the nation’s top law enforcement official issued a directive targeting hostile  parents nationwide who protest progressive education policies at school board meetings.

Garland issued the directive on Oct. 4 telling the U.S. Attorneys  and Federal Bureau of Investigation offices to coordinate with federal, state and local law enforcement on what he called an increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and school staff.

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Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk Endorses J.D. Vance in GOP’s U.S. Senate Race in Ohio

The founder and president of the Turning Point Action conservative political advocacy nonprofit has endorsed businessman and tech industry investor J.D. Vance in the Ohio GOP’s nomination contest for the U.S. Senate.

Charlie Kirk, whose affiliated Turning Point USA organization educates and organizes high school and college students in the principles of freedom, cited Vance’s commitment to “defeating the institutional left” in the endorsement statement.

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Ohio GOP Candidates for U.S. Senate, Cincinnati Congressman Rip Biden After Afghan Blasts Kill Marines, Navy Medic

The deaths of at least 13 American service men and women and 75 civilians in Kabul on Thursday has again sparked even mor criticism of President Joe Biden’s leadershp from several candidates for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate in Ohio as well as a Cincinnati congressman..

Three candidates – J.D. Vance, Mike Gibbons and Jane Timkemin in statements sent to The Ohio Star – called for Biden’s resignation 10 days after the Taliban rolled into Kabul and Afghani provincial capitals as the U.S. military scrambled to evacuate its personnel as well and U.S. and select Afghani civilians.

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Ohio GOP Senate Candidate Mike Gibbons Calls for Resignation of President Biden After Fall of Afghanistan

The rapid collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban and miscalculations during the disorderly withdrawal of American Troops has led U.S. Senate candidate Mike Gibbons to call for the resignation of President Biden.

Congressional Republicans from Ohio also joined the widespread condemnation of the Biden administration’s poor handling of the withdrawal of American troops nearly 20 years after President George W. Bush directed the invasion of the west Asian country in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2011 terror attacks by Islamic extremists trained in that west-central Asian country.

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GOP Senate Candidates Pummel Biden on Inflation, Infrastructure in Wake of ‘Town Hall’ Talk

Biden Town Hall

  President Joe Biden took to the stage at Mount St. Joseph University at 8 p.m. Wednesday before an intimate audience comprised of hand-selected, loyal Democrats and disgruntled Republicans to run the gamut of issues from the surge of the Delta strain of COVID-19 and the proposed federal infrastructure bill to economic issues such as inflation concerns and one restaurant owners’ inability to find workers. Biden singled out those in their 20s and 30s as well as skeptics in poor, minority communities to get immunized. “We have a pandemic (among) those who haven’t gotten the vaccine,” He noted his administration has stepped up efforts with ads featuring prominent athletes and entertainers urging reluctant Americans to get jabbed. The President downplayed the risk that massive federal spending has played in igniting inflation. “The good news is the economy is picking up significantly,” he said. “… Prices are up now but it will not be long term.” Mike Gibbons, a Cleveland businessman and GOP candidate to running to replace retiring U.S. Senator Rob Portman, said unchecked federal spending from Congress and Biden has fueled inflation, which he called a “hidden tax” on Ohioans. “Families and businesses alike are negatively impacted by rising…

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Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Endorses Constitutional Amendment to Keep Supreme Court Justices at Nine

J.D. Vance, an Ohio Senate candidate in the GOP primary to replace Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), pledged to support a constitutional amendment that would keep the number of Justices on the Supreme Court at nine.

“I proudly support the Keep Nine Amendment, so that the integrity and independence of the U.S. Supreme Court is preserved and continued. The Democrats are trying to undermine and radically transform our nation’s highest court, which is one of the pillars of our democracy, into a partisan entity controlled exclusively by them,” Vance said in a statement 

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Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Hits Dems for Sneaking Amnesty into Budget Bill

JD Vance

A U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio is speaking out against a provision in the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion proposed budget that would allow amnesty for some illegal aliens. 

“Joe Biden’s crisis at the Southern border is already grossly out of hand, and the Democrat plan to grant mass amnesty to illegal immigrants in their budget will only make things worse,” J.D. Vance said in a press release. 

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EXCLUSIVE: Mike Gibbons Tells The Ohio Star Why He’s the Best Candidate for the U.S. Senate Job

Mike Gibbons announced Tuesday that he will run for the Ohio seat in the U.S. Senate up for grabs in 2022. A Cleveland Republican, Gibbons is an investment banker, entrepreneur and real estate investor who made his first bid for U.S Senate in 2018 when he competed in the Republican primary.
The Ohio Star talked with Gibbons Tuesday morning shortly after he announced his candidacy. His full press release can be viewed below.
“I’ve got five kids and five grandkids. I’ve never been more frightened for their future in my life,” Gibbons responded when asked why he’s running. “When I started, I didn’t know I’d do as well as I have. We were able to send our kids through college and grad school without loans – I started with nothing.”

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J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy Author and Early Never Trumper, Likely Candidate for Ohio GOP U.S. Senate Nomination

J.D. Vance is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2022 U.S. Senate in Ohio.

“All signs point to J.D. launching a run in the coming months,” a source told the Washington Times.
In a video sent to The Star, Vance appears to be the first high-profile candidate who will not position himself as a Trump Republican – if his views from 2016 and 2017 remain.

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Clevelander Mike Gibbons Announces Statewide Listening Tour in Potential Preparation for Run at U.S. Senate

Monday morning Cleveland businessman and 2018 U.S. Senate candidate Mike Gibbons announced a statewide tour during which he will listen to what Ohio voters have to say as he considers a run for office in 2022.

“This listening tour will allow me the opportunity to meet directly with the voters who understand that we can’t afford to send another politician or party insider to Washington. We need to send someone with a business background, who will fight for working-class Ohioans, who’s unafraid to stand up to his own party and who will always tell the truth,” said Gibbons.

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