MANSFIELD, Ohio — With hours to go before the presidential results of the Iowa caucuses looming, representatives for the two top contenders — Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz — worked Monday to secure votes at a Richland County Republican Party Executive Committee luncheon.
Field Representative for Trump Nick Brusky said he was not allowed to speak to members of the media.
“I can tell you the chicken’s good and that’s about it,” Brusky said before he spoke.
The luncheon was catered by Ed Pickens’ Café on Main and many local and state politicians were present, including county commissioner Tim Wert and his opponents David Morgenstern and Darrell Banks, Sen. Larry Obhof and his opponent Janet Folger Porter and Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon.
Brusky spoke to Trump’s debate boycott and simultaneous veterans event last Thursday.
“Many are asking why he did that. He believed that, that he got backed out of the debate because he believes that Megyn Kelly was being unfair,” Brusky said of Trump.
He cited Trump’s opening remarks at his Thursday event for veterans.
“He said, ‘You have to stick up for yourself, you have to fight for yourself, you have to fight for your country.’ And I don’t think that just applies to Mr. Trump, I believe that applies to every American. I think we can all learn a lesson from Mr. Trump. We have to fight for ourself and we have to stick up for our country.”
Next in line to speak was Pastor David Szalay, substitute representative for Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign efforts in Ohio.
“Why do I support Mr. Cruz? Because he was school by his dad on the constitution and the bible. When it comes to conservative Christianity, he’s been there, done that,” Szalay said.
He said when considering which president to support, he looks for the “fruit of the spirit” and that he observed courage and humility in Sen. Cruz, leading him to his decision to get involved with the senator’s campaign efforts.
After each representative spoke to the luncheon crowd, 22nd District Senator challenger Janet Folger Porter initiated a spar with incumbent Larry Obhof by indicating he opposed bills that supported protecting fetuses from abortion, supported tax-hikes, opposed bills that would repeal Common Core and opposed bills seeking to repeal Obamacare.
“I think that what we need to do is get our values represented in the senate because so far we’re not getting a champion for our cause,” Folger Porter said.
When Obhof spoke, his rebuttal was pointed. He began by sharing his endorsement from Ohio Right to Life, an advocacy group promoting the right to life for all human beings, from fertilization to natural death.
He also cited a net tax cut of $5 billion while in office, the largest in the country, said Obhof.
“I was part of the legal team that challenged the president’s bill when there was a lawsuit in the state of Florida, everybody knows that. I opposed medicaid expansion, everybody knows that. If anyone has questions, look at the record,” Obhof said.
Local candidates also had the chance to share some information about themselves. Those who spoke were sheriff candidate Jerry Botdorf, sheriff Steve Sheldon, Richland County commissioner candidates David Morgenstern, Darrell Banks and Tim Wert.
The Richland County Republican Party Executive Committee will have its next meeting Friday, March 11 for a Lincoln Day Dinner.
