Portman Endorses Fellow Ohioan Kasich for the Presidency

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a long-time colleague of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, on Saturday endorsed his campaign for the GOP nomination, praising the governor for being a "leader who has a proven record of delivering results."

"John turned Ohio around at a tough time and I believe he can do the same for our country," said Portman, who served with Kasich in the U.S. House of Representatives. "I have known John for over 20 years and consider him a good friend."

Portman will serve as national and Ohio co-chair of Kasich's campaign, and in addition to serving in the House together, both were elected to statewide offices in Ohio in 2013. The Kasich campaign said they "share a commitment to the conservative policies that create opportunities for all Americans to rise."

In Ohio, Portland said, Kasich "inherited a mess from former Gov. Ted Strickland," as under the Democrat's leadership, the state "lost over 350,000 jobs and ranked 48th in job creation, as companies left Ohio for other states."

But Kasich and state Republicans were able to turn around a record shortfall of $8 billion into a $2 billion surplus, cut taxes by $5 billion, and add more than 385,000 new jobs, said Portman.

Kasich also praised Portman, calling him a "tremendous asset" for Ohio in the Senate, and commenting that he played an important role in recovering jobs in the state.

"Rob is a rare voice for common sense in Washington and someone who delivers real results," said Kasich. "I look forward to him returning to the Senate and working with him as President to advance the strategies that keep our economy strong and our country safe."

Portman will be joined as national co-chair by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu, R-N.H., conservative activist Gay Hart Gaines, and entrepreneur Larry Paul.

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