Back in August 2016, New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Chris Sununu basked in the backing of John Kasich, then Ohio’s governor and erstwhile GOP presidential candidate.
“He understands what it takes to run a state, to do it in a compassionate, sound way,” Sununu said of Kasich while accepting the endorsement, the Concord (N.H.) Monitor reported at the time. Kasich was the star attraction later on at a Sununu fundraiser.
Don’t hold your breath for a repeat engagement.
When asked by reporters earlier this month if his criticism of Donald Trump and other Republicans put him in the “John McCain, John Kasich” lane of GOP politics, Sununu reacted strongly.
“Don’t compare me to John Kasich. John Kasich is an angry guy who goes out of his way to bash his own party. That’s crazy,” Sununu told the NHJournal
Sununu’s brother, former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, was perhaps the most visible Kasich backer in the state’s 2016 first-in-the-nation presidential primary, where the upstart Ohioan finished a solid if distant second to Trump in a crowded Republican field.
The Sununus’ father, John H., was a New Hampshire governor and chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush. Their mother Nancy was chairwoman of the state’s Republican Party.
Former Kasich strategist now running for Congress — as a Democrat
Speaking of Kasich…
One of his young 2016 campaign aides and an employee in his governor’s office is running for Congress in Rhode Island — as a Democrat.
“My path led me to travel the country, advocating for Governor John Kasich in his bid for president of the United States,” Michael Neary, 28, said in a news release, per the Providence Journal. “I later had the chance to work directly in the office of the governor where I learned up close what it means to truly govern effectively.”
Neary, who wants to cancel student debt up to $50,000 and raise the minimum wage to at least $20 an hour, was the fifth Democrat to jump in the race to succeed Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin, who is not seeking re-election. Neary, a senior analyst for CVS Health, grew up in Rhode Island and says he is moving back from Columbus for the campaign.
60% of Ohio Republicans say 2020 election stolen from Donald Trump
Speaking of Trump…
While stories keep appearing about how some Republicans may be starting to distance themselves from the former president, that hasn’t taken hold in Ohio, a recent poll suggests.
Some findings from that poll of Buckeye State Republican voters by veteran GOP survey firm Fabrizio Lee:
• An “overwhelming” 94% say the country is on the wrong-track.
• Trump has a 91% positive job approval.
• More than 60% say the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and more than 90% say there was fraud.
• The top issues are Trump favorites immigration (16%) and election security (13%).
“The political environment continues to be reliably pro-Trump” the survey said.
The best messages to persuade Ohio GOP voters: cutting federal aid to localities that allow non-citizens to vote, requiring proof of citizenship to get public assistance, and allowing border states to complete the wall with Mexico.
The 98-page PowerPoint presentation, conducted primarily to determine the viability of J.D. Vance’s U.S. Senate campaign on behalf of a super-PAC supporting the Hillbilly Elegy author, was featured on Politico. If Vance were to get Trump’s endorsement, it would triple his support overnight, the poll found.
The survey of 800 likely 2022 GOP Ohio primary voters from Jan. 18-20 has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5% percentage points. Fabrizio has handled polling for Trump, Jim Renacci’s campaign against Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.
