Several races across the country have captured Mr. Trump’s effect on Republican primary elections in the way the Republican Senate campaign in Ohio has run, with candidates seeking to model themselves as the former president.
Most of the contenders criticized undocumented immigrants, and only one recognized President Biden as the nation’s legitimate leader. Two nearly clashed during a recent debate.
Prior to the approval, many Republican district party leaders expressed disappointment that Mr. Trump could choose Mr. Vance, the author of the best-selling memoir of 2016, Elegy of the Hills. They noted that he had spent most of his life in San Francisco and was critical of Mr. Trump, even when they worked to elect him.
“He’s the man who works against Trump and speaks against Trump and told everyone he didn’t vote for Trump,” said David Johnson, chairman of the Columbiana Republican Republican Party, who backed Jane Timken, a former Ohio president. The Republican Party, which is now running for the Senate. “He’s a very bright man and he speaks well, but the worry is that he won’t be carrying Trump to the Republican Party in Ohio, and you have to have that to win.”
Mr Johnson helped spread a letter from Republican leaders in Ohio stating that Mr Vance was not a registered Republican and provided Mr Trump with a list of negative comments Mr Vance had made against him. in the past, including calling him “another opioid” in 2016, and said he hoped Mr Trump would be “firmly defeated” this year.
“While we worked hard in Ohio to support you and make America great again, JD Vance was actively working against your candidacy,” the letter said. He called your supporters “racists” and proudly voted for Evan McMullin in 2016.
Asked for comment, including on the accusation that Mr. Vance is not a registered Republican, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesman for the Vance campaign, said: “When he voted in the primary, JD always voted in the Republican. He has a long public history of supporting Republican candidates, including Donald Trump in 2020.
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