COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Republican Party has picked sides between two sitting statewide officeholders in an increasingly bitter primary for governor.
In a vote Friday, Attorney General Mike DeWine won the party’s coveted endorsement over Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who was term-limited Gov. John Kasich’s two-time running mate.
Before the 59-2 vote, Taylor delivered an impassioned speech calling DeWine a “career politician” and “shill for the entrenched special interests.”
She said the endorsement process was rife with “good old boy bullying and backroom deals.”
DeWine said his campaign is about “building a better future for Ohio by fighting the status quo and working to solve Ohio’s biggest issues.”
The endorsement means DeWine and his running mate, Secretary of State Jon Husted, will appear on party slate cards delivered to Republican voters.
