Who's endorsed whom in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District?
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The two Republicans who matter most haven't endorsed in the 11-person Republican primary to replace Rep. Brad Wenstrup.
Former president Donald Trump hasn't picked a favorite in the race despite the praise lavished on him by many of the candidates. It's a district Trump won by a 3-to-1 margin in 2020.
Wenstrup said he doesn't plan on endorsing whom he wants as his successor. The Ohio GOP won't get involved either, according to a spokesman.
Still, several other county Republican parties have weighed in. Party endorsements in the past have played influential roles in local elections as endorsed candidates typically get the party resources behind them and appear on slate cards voters take to the polls.
Some prominent politicians have endorsed, including former GOP presidential candidate and Evendale native Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the presidential race after the Iowa caucuses in January and has endorsed and campaigned for Trump.
Here's a short description of each candidate and a list of notable endorsements for each:
Niraj Antani
Antani, 33, of Miamisburg, has served 10 years in the Ohio General Assembly, first as a state representative and currently as a state senator. Antani doesn't list endorsements on his campaign site. When asked by The Enquirer what endorsements he's received, Antani responded in a text, "the political establishment has always opposed me."
Some organizations dedicated to Asian American and Indian American causes have donated to his campaign. They are:
Americans for Hindus.
Hindus of Georgia.
Kim Georgeton
Kim Georgeton, 52, of Sycamore Township in Hamilton County, announced her candidacy in December after she made a trip to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. She said the president's words inspired her.
Georgeton is the chairwoman for the Hamilton County chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national nonprofit based in Florida with chapters across the country.
She's been endorsed by Veterans for America First, also known as Veterans for Trump, an organization of military veterans organized in 2015 to support Trump.
Phil Heimlich
Heimlich, unlike most of the other candidates, has run in recent years as an anti-Trump Republican. In 2022, he primaried Republican Rep. Warren Davidson in the 8th Congressional District. Heimlich, 71, of Symmes Township, formerly served on Cincinnati City Council and the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners.
He's been endorsed by:
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican critical of Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and one of 10 Republicans in the U.S. House who voted to impeach Trump.
Ron Hood
Hood, 54, of Circleville, was a state representative and ran for governor in 2022 against Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. His running mate for lieutenant governor was former Rep. Candice Keller. Hood came in a distant fourth out of four candidates in the Republican primary, getting 2% of the vote.
According to his website, he's been endorsed by Oklahoma Republican Rep. Josh Brecheen, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group started by members associated with the tea party movement and now full of Trump loyalists, one that Politico described as increasingly "more populist and nationalist."
Tom Hwang
Hwang, 69, of Waverly, owns The Virtues Golf Club about 50 miles east of Columbus. He's never held public office before. In 2022, he lost a primary bid against Ohio state Sen. Shane Wilkin for the Ohio Senate seat, only getting 22% of the vote. Wilkin is also running for this congressional seat.
Hwang, in an email to The Enquirer, stated Denise D'Angelo Steele and Julie Liskany, members of the South-Western City School board in Grove City have endorsed him.
Larry Kidd
Kidd, 59, of Jackson had previously served as a former vice chairman of the Jackson County Republican Party and as a delegate for former President Donald Trump.
Kidd owns his own staffing and employment company, Hire, which employs 400 people.
According to his campaign, Kidd's been endorsed by:
Scioto County Republican Party.
Alice Frazier, Jackson County Coroner.
Ted Frazier, Jackson County Sheriff.
Derek Myers
The 31-year-old Chillicothe resident has sparked headlines and controversy with his accusations against former Rep. George Santos, his arrest on wiretapping charges while covering a trial for his online publication the Scioto Valley Guardian (charges that were later dismissed,) and his confrontational comments, including calling his opponent, Niraj Antani, "a foreigner."
No endorsements are listed on his website. Myers didn't return an email and text asking him about endorsements.
Tim O'Hara
Tim O'Hara, 46, of Hamersville, is a former Marine who worked as a drill instructor and owns two LaRosa's pizzeria restaurants. According to his campaign, O'Hara's endorsements include:
Vivek Ramaswamy, biotech entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate.
The Scioto County Republican Club, which is a group of Republicans separate from the Scioto County Republican Party.
Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis
Charles Tassell
Tassell, 54, of Batavia, works as the chief operations officer of the National Real Estate Investors Association. He also previously served as the chairman of the Clermont County Republican Party. He stepped down in December when the Clermont County Republicans declined to endorse him and instead endorsed Taylor.
The pro-Trump Drain the Swamp Political Action Committee has endorsed Tassell as well as the Freedom for All Political Action Committee and We the People Convention, an organization headed up by Tea Party activist Tom Zawistowski.
David Taylor
Taylor, 54, of Amelia, owns a concrete company and works as an assistant prosecutor in Clermont County.
Those who've endorsed him, according to Taylor's campaign, include:
Clermont County Republican Party.
State Rep. Mark Johnson, R-Chillicothe.
Clermont County Sheriff Robert Leahy.
Pike County Sheriff Tracy Evans.
Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve.
Clermont County Commissioner Claire Corcoran.
Clermont County Commissioner David Painter.
Three Batavia Township trustees
Shane Wilkin
State Sen. Shane Wilkin 53, of Hillsboro, worked his way up from county politics to the General Assembly. Wilkin served as Highland County commissioner for three terms before going to the Ohio State House in 2018. He served as a representative for four years until winning the election in 2022 for Ohio Senate District 17, which represents 10 counties in southern Ohio.
Those who have endorsed him according to Wilkin's campaign include:
Highland County Republican Party.
Buckeye Firearms Association.
State Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville.
State Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Sabina.
More than 20 local officials from around the district.
Samantha Meadows, Democrat
Meadows, of Chillicothe, is the lone Democrat in the race and will face the Republican winner. In 2022 Meadows ran against Wenstrup and lost by 49 percentage points.
Meadows listed her endorsements as:
The American Federation of Government Employees.
Ohio Democratic Party.
Pickaway County Democratic Party.
Meigs County Democratic Party.
Clinton County Democratic Party.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2024 Ohio 2nd District representative primary endorsements
