John Kasich

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, shown during the daily news briefing at the White House in this Sept. 16, 2016 file photo, remains firmly behind Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges.

(Carolyn Kaster, The Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Gov. John Kasich remains committed to Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges, who faces a challenge from Jane Timken -- a key GOP activist from the Canton area who helped raise money for President-elect Donald Trump.

"I support Matt," Kasich said Monday in a statement forwarded by a political spokesman. "He has the support of the committee. He has done an outstanding job running a complex organization and has an unparalleled record of winning. His experience is critical moving into the midterm elections."

That Kasich supports Borges is hardly surprising. Borges, his handpicked chairman, was elevated to that top post in 2013 by Kasich allies on the state party's Central Committee. But the public show of confidence, which came in response to a question from cleveland.com, suggests Kasich is willing to use his bully pulpit and political capital to keep Borges in the position heading into the 2018 statewide elections.

Timken, who serves as vice chairwoman of the Stark County Republican Party and is a member of a prominent Canton family, informed committee members of her candidacy Sunday. In her letter, Timken hinted that she had support from Trump, whom she saw last week during the president-elect's visit to Cincinnati.

"The relationship between the ORP and the President-elect's campaign was very publicly divisive," Timken wrote. "Last week, I spoke with President-elect Trump and he agrees that it is time for a leadership change at the ORP."

Borges, who attended the Ohio GOP's holiday party on the evening of Trump's Cincinnati events, said he is confident he has the required majority -- 34 votes -- to maintain the position. "I'll run on my record," he said Sunday night.

That record includes a sweep of statewide offices in 2014, the year Kasich was re-elected, and strong Republican performances up and down the ballot last month.

But Borges had been a prominent champion of Kasich's unsuccessful campaign for the GOP presidential nomination this year and remained lukewarm toward Trump. He raised concerns about Trump's campaign style publicly -- and, Borges said, in private conversations intended as friendly advice. Bob Paduchik, who steered Trump's Ohio campaign, blasted Borges weeks before Election Day, suggesting that he prematurely had his eyes on the Republican National Committee chairmanship.