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Portman Praises, But Won't Endorse, A Kasich Presidential Run

StatehouseNews

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman says everything about Gov. John Kasich as a presidential candidate is compelling. But he’s still not endorsing his fellow Ohio Republican.

Kasich is expected to make his presidential run official Tuesday at a rally at Ohio State University. And Rob Portman spent close to three minutes on a conference call with reporters extolling all the reasons Kasich will make a great candidate. But Portman says he has his own 2016 senatorial campaign to worry about. 

“I have, as you can image, a number of other candidates who I know well who are in the mix, including Jeb Bush and others who I’ve worked with over the years. But again, I think John Kasich is a very strong candidate," he said. "And I think you will see him rise in the polls as he announces and more people get to know the Ohio record.”

Late last year, Portman had himself been considering a presidential run.