Ohio Senate candidate Jane Timken is finally rolling out her first broadcast TV ad with a message that many state Republicans have been waiting to hear.
“Jane Timken is the real Trump conservative,” the ad cheers, calling her rivals “pretenders.”
Former President Donald Trump, whose 33-endorsed candidates all won in last night’s Texas races, has not endorsed in the Ohio GOP primary to select a nominee to replace retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman.
But Timken, who was the state Republican Party chief, has a lot of evidence that Trump likes her, and she put it in the ad. It shows Trump stumping in the state key to presidential elections bragging on Timken.
“She has been incredible as a leader of the GOP. She’s the chair, and she’s my friend. Jane Timken,” said Trump in one clip. In another, he said, “she’s unbelievable.”
During the 2020 campaign, Timken joined with Trump and often acted as a surrogate for the former president at campaign events.
The seven-figure advertising buy will run on broadcast stations in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton, and on Fox News in those markets and in Youngstown, said the campaign.
She is running against several challengers, including author J.D. Vance, former state Treasurer Josh Mandel, and Cleveland banker Mike Gibbons.
Recent polling shows Gibbons in the lead, but that Trump’s endorsement could shake up the race as some 36% are undecided. An Emerson College Polling survey said, “A majority 62% of Republican primary voters say an endorsement by former President Donald Trump would make them more likely to support a candidate.”
Timken has a long list of supporters, including Portman, former top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway, House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, and former Trump political advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie.
“There is only one candidate in this race who has been an unwavering champion for President Trump and his America First agenda that worked for Ohio,” said Timken. “This ad sets that straight.”
