‘Great day for Ohio’: Politicians around state react to JD Vance VP selection

(WJW) — After the not too surprising news Monday that Ohio Sen. JD Vance would be the Republican vice presidential nominee , politicians across the state made their opinions known about the selection.

GOV. MIKE DEWINE
The Ohio governor was in attendance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Monday. He spoke with reporters on the convention floor (as seen in the video at the top of the story) about Donald Trump’s pick, saying “It’s a great day for Ohio, and it’s great news for the Ohio.”

He said he got to know Vance over the last number of years and that “he has an ability to appeal to working men and women.”

He also released an official statement congratulating Vance, calling him a “son of Middletown, Ohio.”

FORMER OHIO REP. TIM RYAN
Ryan, a Democrat out of Youngstown who ran against Vance in his recent Senate race, was not as enthused about the choice.

“At best, JD Vance is a phony and a fraud,” Ryan wrote on X. “At worst, he has extremely deranged views towards women. His political agenda is even more extreme than Trump and his history of dishonesty and opportunism means he cannot be trusted. I was hoping President Trump would have picked a VP that had a reputation of someone who consistently reached out to find common ground. JD is the exact opposite of that. Democrats must act quickly to expose him. In the coming hours you will see many clips and commercials from our Senate race together. I continue to stand by all I said during that campaign. Unfortunately, what I said then is even more true now.”

OHIO REPUBLICAN PARTY
The official statement from the state’s Republican Party Chairman, Alex Triantafilou, read as follows:

“Ohio is swelling with pride today with the historic announcement that Sen. JD Vance will be the next vice president of the United States. Sen. Vance understands the devastating impact that Joe Biden’s policies have had on working Americans. With inflation crushing the middleclass, Sen. Vance will join the president in restoring America’s economic strength. He is the best choice for America.”

OHIO DEMOCATRIC PARTY
Elizabeth Walters, the Ohio Democratic Party Chair, offered this statement following the announcement:

In Ohio, we’ve had a front row seat for J.D. ‘s political career. So here’s what the country needs to know.

J.D. Vance is an out-of-touch millionaire who launched his political career by taking advantage of Ohio’s opioid crisis and has spent his time in the Senate humiliating himself in the service of a convicted felon instead of working to improve the quality of life for Ohioans. His support for a national abortion ban and his twisted belief that women should stay in violent marriages for the benefit of their children exemplifies his dangerous extremism. He’s not just wrong for Ohio, he’s wrong for the country.

But with Vance’s history of political shapeshifting, he’s the perfect fit for a president whose empty promises of bringing jobs back to Ohio were secondary to spreading lies about a disease that killed 400,000 Americans all while devastating public trust in our government, and ripping away the foundation of our democracy.

Ohio has buyers’ remorse. Donald Trump and the country will too.

BUSINESSMAN BERNIE MORENO
The GOP nominee for Ohio’s next U.S. Senate race took to social media to approve of the choice:

“JD is a dynamic, visionary leader who is the perfect messenger for the America First agenda alongside President Trump. He will fight with President Trump for our middle class, secure our border, and unleash American energy. I am proud to call JD a friend and I look forward to working with him to fire Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Sherrod Brown.”

OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE FRANK LAROSE
LaRose, who was hoping to be the Republican choice to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown but did not win the primary, also released a statement: “JD Vance is a patriot, a thought leader, and a fighter for America’s forgotten working class. This is an excellent choice by President Trump. He will serve honorably as Vice President”

Watch Vance officially being chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate at the Republican National Convention below:

Vance, a freshman senator who currently lives in Cincinnati, was shortlisted for the VP pick in recent weeks.

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