Black Lives Matter of Cuyahoga County is announcing Friday that they are backing Rob Portman. | AP Photo Black Lives Matter pushes back on Ohio Senate endorsement

The national Black Lives Matter network is pushing back against a local Ohio group that aligns itself with the movement yet has endorsed Republican Rob Portman in his competitive reelection bid in Ohio.

Black Lives Matter of Cuyahoga County announced Friday that it was formally backing Portman in his Senate race. But the Cuyahoga group is “not an official chapter of our BLM network,” Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the national Black Lives Matter network, said Friday. A spokesperson added that Black Lives Matter Cleveland is the only official chapter in Ohio, and that it had not endorsed Portman.


"Black Lives Matter Cleveland is the group's local organization in the area," added David Bergstein, the campaign spokesman for Ted Strickland, Portman's Democratic challenger. "Ted has a strong record of fighting for Ohio’s African-American communities and working families, and will continue to do so in the Senate.”

In its endorsement statement, Black Lives Matter of Cuyahoga County, led by Jeff Mixon, criticized Strickland’s management of the state’s finances when he was Ohio governor. Mixon sits on the county Democratic Party's executive committee, and his group endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in February.

In an e-mail to reporters on Saturday, Mixon said he was "shocked and outraged when I learned about the Strickland campaign's effort to belittle our group."

"BLACK LIVES MATTER in Cuyahoga County is deeply committed to making this country safer for Black children -- ALL CHILDREN -- as well as for the honorable and courageous men and women who risk their lives protecting and serving others," Mixon said in the e-mail, sent from an address that identified him as "Elijah Keen." "We won't allow any politician to hinder our effort to bring healing and justice to this nation."

Mixon had said in his Friday endorsement that "in the current atmosphere of identity politics, BLMCC understands that endorsing even a well-qualified Republican such as Portman seems controversial; despite the fact that it was minorities who suffered the brunt of Ted Strickland’s gross financial mismanagement."

The Cuyahoga group also praised Portman and how he shepherded a significant anti-opioid measure into law this month. Portman has also been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, a major law enforcement union in Ohio, earlier this week.

Portman's campaign did not respond directly to the Strickland campaign pointing out that the Cuyahoga group was not officially a part of the national Black Lives Matter organization.

"We are honored that Rob's positive vision for the future has attracted support from all corners of Ohio," Portman campaign spokeswoman Michawn Rich said. "Republicans, Democrats, and Independents are joining Rob's campaign because they all agree Ohio cannot afford to go backwards to the days of Ted Strickland when the state lost more than 350,000 jobs and ranked 48th in job creation."

Sarah Wheaton contributed to this report.