The feud between the Donald Trump campaign and Ohio Republican Party chair Matt Borges before the election has turned into a challenge over the state party’s leadership next month. Now the party’s top state officeholder has weighed in with an unsurprising but significant vote of confidence.
There was a lot of talk about coming together at the Electoral College session on Monday – including from Gov. John Kasich, who said: “We want connection. We want neighbors. We want unity.”
Kasich’s spokesman Chris Schrimpf confirms that Kasich supports chairman Matt Borges, and that Borges has the support of the state central committee. Former party chair Kevin DeWine resigned in 2012 when Kasich backers stacked that committee, which elected Borges and then united behind him when Tea Party leader Tom Zawistowski challenged him a year later. Borges sent out a letter this week noting he has the backing of Ohio House and Senate leaders and members of Congress. But Jane Timken of the Stark County GOP says she has the support of President Elect Donald Trump and his Ohio campaign.