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Gov. John Kasich Says He Supports State Republican Chair Matt Borges

picture of Matt Borges at Kasich rally
KAREN KASLER
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges (at podium) at an October 2015 rally to support Gov. John Kasich's 2016 presidential bid

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.

The top GOP officeholder in Ohio 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.

“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 Chairman 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, vice chair of the Stark County GOP, says she has the support of President-elect Donald Trump and his Ohio campaign.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.