The Clermont County Republican Party on Monday voted to endorse Ohio gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci in his challenge to Governor Mike DeWine.
In total, Renacci won the endorsement with 77 of the possible 106 committee members’ votes. Twenty-two individuals supported Governor DeWine.
“After three disastrous years under Mike DeWine, defined by everything from lockdowns and mandates to corruption and CRT, it’s clear that Republicans across Ohio are fired up for change and the pro-Trump, conservative leadership they know I’ll deliver as Governor,” Jim Renacci said of the endorsement, in an emailed release.
Previously, Greg Simpson, the chair of the county party, pulled back his endorsement of DeWine, after mistakenly offering the endorsement to the incumbent. The Clermont GOP previously passed a resolution asking party leaders to not endorse a specific candidate in the GOP primary.
“I come before each one of you today to address the attached statement made in regards to me endorsing DeWine. First and foremost, I want to apologize to this committee for making this mistake. My loyalty is to the Clermont County Republican Party and the people in this county. Forethought on all of this has brought me to realize that making this statement as Party Chairman crossed the line,” Simpson said in a statement.
Recent polling has placed Renacci ahead of DeWine. According to an internal poll conducted by Renacci’s campaign, the challenger held an eight-point lead. A large number of respondents said they would “definitely vote against DeWine.”
“I’ve seen on the ground what this poll sees in the data,” Jim Renacci said. “Ohio Republicans are deeply unsatisfied with Mike DeWine’s anti-Trump blue-state leadership. Our campaign is building a groundswell of support to put Ohio on a new path and end Mike DeWine’s forty year political career in May.”
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Clermont County Republican Party endorsement” by Jim Renacci.