POLITCO 3/3/12: Ohio: “Gov. John Kasich and state Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine have been locked in their own pitched battle in a state where Republicans currently hold all the levers of power....when Kasich was elected in 2010 and met with DeWine to ask him to step aside...DeWine — who is elected by a state central committee that governs the party — declined the request. A few months later, the committee unanimously reelected DeWine...According to a spokesman for the Ohio secretary of state, about a half million people had already cast ballots in the primary by this time four years ago, compared with 160,000 as of Friday. Some county election officers report early voting to be one-tenth of what it was in 2008...The state central committee is made up of one man and one woman from each of Ohio’s 33 state Senate districts — they are elected positions that are also on the ballot Tuesday. Kasich allies are running for some of those seats, which could help the governor oust DeWine when he comes up for reelection early next year. In a dramatic vote last month, DeWine secured a rule change tightening the criteria concerning who can serve on the committee — a tweak that could help him keep his job....Romney’s effort in Ohio is being quarterbacked by Sen. Rob Portman, who has worked tirelessly with several other congressmen to build support and infrastructure for Romney. Santorum’s most high-profile supporter and surrogate is Attorney General Mike DeWine...
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