Now that U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich have suspended their presidential campaigns, Republicans are at a crossroads as they decide whether or not to coalesce around the apparent republican nominee Donald Trump.
After Kasich suspended his campaign Wednesday, Republican Beavercreek City Councilman Brian Jarvis said the governor ran a “straight forward campaign” that matched his personality. Jarvis also said he believes the GOP will now coalesce behind Donald Trump.
“In most elections you see, during the primary, whether you’re on the left or the right, pull toward that base—far left or far right, but once you get towards the general election you have to pull in more of the middle to win," he said. "So, I see Trump and others in the republican party pulling together in order to get as much [support] as possible in the general election.”
State Representative Naraj Antani of Dayton says he believes it will possible for Trump to close some of the republican party divide but it’ll take some outreach on Trump’s part.
“I think he needs to become more even keeled. I think that we want an inclusive party, not one that’s divisive. I think one of the things for me is that he has said on various occasions, and even recently, that he is pro-choice or supports Planned Parenthood,” he said.
Antani says he’d like to hear more pro-life talk from Trump. He’d also like to hear more support for gun ownership rights and lower taxes.
Regardless of how republicans feel about Trump, Antani says, there are down-ticket candidates who will still need votes in November—including himself. All 99 seats in the Ohio House of Representatives are on the November ballot. Antani represents Ohio's 42nd district.
Republicans also worry that with Trump at the top of the party ticket, Democrats could make gains in the U.S. House and Senate.
Twenty-four Republican and 10 Democratic U.S. Senators are up for reelection, including Republican Senator Rob Portman. Democrats would only need a net gain of five seats to regain control of the U.S. Senate.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, all 435 seats are on the table. Democrats currently hold 188 of those seats. They would need a net gain of 30 to regain the House.
