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OH-Gov GOP Candidates Slam Kasich, Run to the Right

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For months, the candidates in Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial primary have been racing to the far right-wing – wildly fighting to embrace more out-of-the-mainstream policies than their competitors. 

And last night during their first GOP forum, the major target of the right-wing posturing was current GOP Gov. John Kasich. Every single candidate, including Kasich’s own lieutenant governor Mary Taylor, harshly criticized Kasich’s decision to expand Medicaid and his vocal opposition to President Trump’s agenda: 

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor: On Medicaid expansion: “Some of the decisions made have not reflected what I consider to be good, conservative values.”

Rep. Jim Renacci: “We cannot have a governor who comes in with Republican values and goes out with Democrat values or independent values and think that the state is going in the right direction.”

Sec. of State Jon Husted: “People have been really frustrated…with his words, [to] kind of not support the president or maybe even undermine the president on occasions, that he’s not focused on Ohio as he once was.”

Attorney General Mike DeWine: On the opioid crisis: “We have not had – we have not had a sense of urgency.”

Here’s a roundup of the coverage of the Republicans running far to the right of Gov. Kasich:

Four GOP Candidates for Governor Find Common Ground – Against Kasich

It’s no secret that Kasich has a less than positive image with some conservative voters – some because of his support for Medicaid expansion, and others because Kasich has publicly feuded with President Donald Trump and refused to endorse him. And these voters are likely to turn out for next May’s primary. So the four Republican candidates for governor are all interested in speaking directly to them

John Kasich comes under fire from GOP gubernatorial candidates at Sunday forum

There’s one elected official in Ohio the Republican candidates for governor seemed to have a problem with Sunday night: Republican Gov. John Kasich. During a forum hosted by Citizens for Community Values at Genoa Church in Westerville, Ohio, U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, Attorney General Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and Secretary of State Jon Husted tried to put as much distance between themselves and the term-limited Kasich as possible.

Republicans running for Ohio governor talk guns, religion, and Kasich

Taylor, who has served as Kasich’s lieutenant governor for nearly seven years, broke away from the governor, saying his decision to expand Medicaid did not reflect conservative values. “I was clear with the governor from day one that I did not support Medicaid expansion, and in fact felt that it was sustainable and it wasn’t the right decision for the state of Ohio.”

GOP governor hopefuls outline visions for Ohio at forum

And, Secretary of State Jon Husted says Gov. John Kasich has frustrated Republicans by “undermining” President Donald Trump.

The Trump-backing congressman also crossed swords with Trump-critic Kasich — who was not a crowd favorite based on Luntz’s questioning of the audience — saying, Kasich “lost some of those (Republican) values. … We cannot have a governor who comes in with Republican values and who goes out with Democrat or independent values.”