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Mary Taylor Backs Off Claim She Won't Support DeWine If He Wins Primary

Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor
Dake Kang
/
Associated Press

One of the Republican candidates for governor is pulling back an earlier statement in which she said she wouldn’t vote for her primary opponent if he becomes the party’s nominee. 

In an interview last week, Taylor said she wouldn’t vote for Attorney General Mike DeWine if he wins the Republican primary. She now has backed off that a bit with this clarification.

“I intend to win this primary, so I will be voting for Mary Taylor in November to become the next governor of the state of Ohio,” Taylor said. “So I’m starting with that as my basis and my foundation. But of course I would vote for Mike DeWine. He’s less liberal than Dennis Kucinich.”

Kucinich is one of several major Democratic party contenders in the primary. Taylor lost the endorsement of the Republican Party’s state central committee 59-2, after calling DeWine a creature of the establishment and a shill for special interests.

“This absolutely represents the good ole’ boy career politician establishment that wants to have things their way,” Taylor said.

At the beginning of February, Taylor trailed DeWine's campaignin fundraising. Her campaign declared $3.5 million cash on hand, most of which came from loans from herself and her running mate Nathan Estruth. DeWine boasted $10.5 million on hand.