Former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, threw his assist behind Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) in his intently watched reelection bid for the U.S. Senate.
In a letter to the editor printed Sunday within the Dayton Every day Information, Taft mentioned he’s nonetheless a Republican however will likely be placing social gathering apart to vote for Brown, who Taft mentioned is “the kind of leader” Ohioans want.
Taft, who served as governor from 1999 to 2007, didn’t point out Brown’s GOP opponent, candidate Bernie Moreno, within the letter.
“I have always run for office under the banner of the Republican Party, am a conservative and usually vote a straight Republican ticket. Although still a Republican, I will be making an exception this year in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race by supporting Sherrod Brown,” Taft wrote in his letter, printed Sunday.
“In doing so, I will be joining most voters who make judgments about candidates based not just on party affiliation but, often more importantly, on the candidate and his or her character, experience and expertise,” he continued.
Taft referred to as Brown a “highly effective” and “experienced advocate” for Ohioans within the Senate, pointing to his cross-party work with Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) to advocate the pursuits of Wright Patterson Air Pressure Base.
Taft additionally mentioned Brown “knows all of Ohio well and understands the concerns and challenges of people across our state,” and mentioned Brown has all the time made time for his constituents. Taft added that Brown’s workers can also be very attentive to all constituents who contact their workplace.
Taft touted Brown’s 25 years of expertise representing Ohio in public workplace and famous that Brown’s seniority within the Senate has secured him some high-ranking posts, which Taft mentioned is necessary to Ohioans.
The letter is notable since Taft comes from a widely known Republican household. His grandfather, the late Sen. Robert A Taft, grew to become often known as “Mr. Republican.” The previous governor’s great-grandfather was President William Howard Taft.
The Related Press famous that the previous Republican governor is the one politician ever to defeat Brown in an election — when Taft defeated Brown in 1990 in his reelection bid for secretary of state.
The Hill has reached out to Moreno and Brown for remark.
