Jessie Balmert

jbalmert@enquirer.com

COLUMBUS - Former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland says his one-time rival Gov. John Kasich has “moral integrity” for holding off on any endorsement of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump is a wild card, and I think totally inappropriate to be the president of the United States, and Sen. Portman is supporting him,” Strickland told reporters at an event at Print Syndicate, a downtown Columbus business best known for its t-shirts depicting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“Unlike John Kasich, who has the moral integrity, I think, to really question whether or not this man should be in the presidency, Rob Portman has not shown that kind of hesitancy.”

Last week, Ohio’s Republican governor told multiple reporters that he would not support Donald Trump unless the businessman had a conversion of biblical proportions.

“I’m waiting to see if at this point there’s going to be a Damascus Road experience, a dramatic change,” Kasich said in an interview with Yahoo News. “And I haven’t seen it. You never know when it can happen. But without that, I won’t be involved.”

Kasich’s hesitancy to endorse Trump is notable, because Cleveland will host the Republican National Convention next month. No Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio.

Portman has repeatedly said he would support the GOP nominee, but has distanced himself from some of Trump’s more inflammatory comments. Corry Bliss, Portman’s campaign manager, has suggested that the GOP presidential nominee wouldn't matter in the Senate campaign because Strickland is such a flawed candidate.

Strickland's news conference Monday focused on his support for equal pay for female workers, access to abortion and tax credits for child care.