Buckeye Reporter

The Clermont County GOP has endorsed Ohio gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci for governor.  

According to a Feb. 1 Twitter post by Carl Weiser, 77 members of the Clermont County GOP voted to endorse Jim Renacci for governor, while only 22 voted for Gov. Mike DeWine.

This comes just a week after Tony Fabrizio, Donald Trump's pollster with experience polling Ohio races, conducted a new poll of 800 Ohio Republican primary voters. The poll found Renacci leading incumbent DeWine by eight points in the primary. Only 32% of the voters said they would vote to re-elect DeWine, while 50% said they planned to vote in opposition. 

"After three disastrous years under Mike DeWine, defined by everything from lockdowns and mandates to corruption and CRT, it’s clear that Republicans across Ohio are fired up for change and the pro-Trump, conservative leadership they know I’ll deliver as governor."

According to the poll, former President Trump maintains an 89% approval rating in the state. Buckeye reporter previously reported that Renacci was more closely aligning himself with former Pres. Donald Trump to increase his appeal to Republican voters, whereas DeWine has repeatedly opposed Trump and "Trumpism."

"There's real support still for President Trump within the Republican base [in Ohio], even more so an anti-DeWine sentiment," a Politico reporter acknowledged on MSNBC. "I do sense, I do hear very real anger from them directed very specifically at Mike DeWine."

Renacci is a businessman and former U.S. representative for the 16th congressional district running against DeWine, a fellow Republican, in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary on May 3.

DeWine, 74, was Kasich's choice to replace him as Ohio governor in 2019. He is one of the longest-serving public officials in state history, having been in elected office for 41 years. That includes stints in the Ohio State Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and as Ohio attorney general and Ohio lieutenant governor.