Buckeye Reporter

A group of Ohio conservative leaders say GOP gubernatorial candidate Joe Blystone is falsely claiming rival Jim Renacci supports so-called "transgender bathrooms."

The conservatives, including GOP State Central Committee member Melanie Leneghan of Delaware County, John and Diane Stover of Parma and and Portage County Tea Party Executive Director Tom Zawistowski, have co-signed a letter stating "there is no evidence to support this malicious and libelous claim."

"Too often, when politicians cannot win on their own merit, background or ability, they spread false statements or rumors," the letter said. "One false statement put out by opponents of Republican Jim Renacci falsely claims Congressman Renacci voted for transgender bathrooms, allowing men in women's bathrooms, and that he would allow men to compete in women's sports."

"We the undersigned looked into these claims," it said. "The facts are very clear. These claims are false." 

In addition Leneghan, the Stovers and Zawistowski, the letter is signed by Shannon Burns of the Strongsville GOP, Mike Goldstein, Beverly Goldstein of Beachwood, Conrad Allen of Ottawa and three pastors, J.C. Church of Bucyrus, Juan Carlos Vargas of Cincinnati and Jim McComas of Creston.

According to a report by the Ohio Press Network's Jack Windsor, Blystone has claimed that, while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016, Renacci voted for an amendment by U.S. Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY) that "would have led to government contractors either accommodating transgender bathroom choice or losing out on federal contracts."

Windsor also said "this statement is false."

"To be clear, Renacci didn’t vote for the Maloney amendment as it is described in Blystone’s press statement, video commercial and radio interview commentaries," he wrote. "It takes some constitutional law jiu-jitsu to get to the conclusion that a vote for the amended Maloney amendment is a vote for transgender bathrooms."

Windsor said a Blystone aide agreed with his analysis and did commit to pulling down and changing a video (attacking Renacci) that contains a false statement."

A Renacci campaign spokesman said Blystone's campaign is "built around lies about Jim Renacci."

"Joe Blystone built his entire campaign around lies about Jim Renacci, lies that have finally caught up with him," Renacci campaign spokesman Tom Wyand said. "Blystone has been doing Mike DeWine and the establishment's dirty work for them, but he's finally been exposed. Ohio conservatives want Mike DeWine defeated, and it's clearer than ever that Jim Renacci is the proven, accountable conservative who can get it done."