Despite his trailing in the national polls, Ohio Governor John Kasich – who came in second at the New Hampshire primary this week – is gathering more endorsements among Illinois elected officials. Pundits speculate that Kasich is focusing on midwestern states rather than the southern states for support in upcoming primaries.
Friday Illinois State Representative and Assistant Republican Leader Chad Hays announced that he has joined Governor John Kasich's presidential campaign as a Illinois Co-Chair.
"As someone who has balanced budgets before, I know that balancing the federal budget is not for the faint of heart. Yet John Kasich did it once before, and he has a plan to do it again," Hays said in a statement. "Over the years, he has consistently impressed me with his willingness to make hard choices while bringing people together. I enthusiastically support his presidential campaign and look forward to joining the rest of the team to communicate his message to voters."
Hays, a native of Vermillion County, has served in the Illinois legislature since 2010. He previously served two terms as Mayor of Catlin, where he balanced eight consecutive budgets.
"It's an honor to win the support of State Representative Chad Hays, a strong leader who understands the unique pressure of being an executive," Kasich said in a statement. "With a little over a month to go before the Illinois primary election, our ground operation is growing stronger and reaching more voters every day."
Kasich for America Illinois Team
Chairman:
Christine Radogno, Republican Leader, Illinois Senate
Co-Chairs:
Dan Cronin, DuPage County Board Chairman
Dave Syverson, Illinois State Senator, 35th District
Ed Sullivan, Illinois House of Representatives, 51st Distrct
David Harris, Illinois House of Representatives, 53rd District
Ron Sandack, Illinois House of Representatives, 81st District
Tom Demmer, Illinois House of Representatives, 90th District
Jil Tracy, Illinois House of Representatives, 94th District (former)
Randy Frese, Illinois House of Representatives, 94th District
Chad Hays, Illinois House of Representatives, 104th District
The Honorable Joseph Mohorovic, Commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Jim Schultz, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Chairman, Citizens for Rauner
Pat Brady, former Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party
Sean Morrison, Cook County Commissioner, 17th District
Leadership Team:
Aaron Del Mar, Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party
Seth McMillan, Chairman of the Christian County Republican Party
Jerome Groniger, Chairman of the Coles County Republican Party
Liz Gorman, former Cook County Commissioner, 17th District
Cory Jobe, Director, Illinois Office of Tourism, Ward 6 Alderman
John Farney, Champaign County Auditor
Kristy Stephenson, City Treasurer, City of Metropolis