COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio tea party leader who announced
a primary challenge to Gov. John Kasich backed out of the race
Saturday, less than a week after saying he was in.
In an emailed
statement, Ted Stevenot said he made the decision not to run based on
discussions with family, friends, and advisers.
Despite "a tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement" Stevenot said he decided to get
out of the race.
"I
do this reluctantly, because I know that part of what has gone wrong
with our political process is that the two major parties have made it
exceedingly difficult for a common person to run for office," he said.
Stevenot
said the decision had nothing to do with reports of financial
difficulties encountered by his running mate, Brenda Mack, who he said
encountered financial problems while battling a rare form of cancer.
"During
her illness, she understandably struggled to make ends meet and run her
business," he wrote. "She ended up selling nearly everything she had
just to survive."
Stevenot is past president of the statewide Ohio
Liberty Coalition, a Clermont County tea party leader and co-founder of
a suburban Cincinnati insurance company.
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