'They don't recognize the party.' GOP group launches campaign against J.D. Vance

A GOP group aligned with a former staffer for Sen. Rob Portman is hoping to rally Ohio swing voters against J.D. Vance as part of a national effort to block Republican candidates who cast doubt on the 2020 presidential election.

The Republican Accountability Project is launching a $500,000 digital campaign featuring Republican voters in Ohio who plan to cast ballots for Vance's opponent, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan. The organization hopes to undermine candidates in key states such as Arizona and Pennsylvania who aligned themselves with former President Donald Trump and peddled false claims about election fraud.

Opinion:Republicans should be wary of J.D. Vance

These are people who "don't recognize the party"

"These are all people who voted Republican their entire lives, and they don’t recognize the party," founder Sarah Longwell said. "I think 2017 J.D. Vance would say the same thing.”

Among the group's key backers is John Bridgeland, a Cincinnati native and Republican who worked in Portman's congressional office. Bridgeland decided to support Ryan after seeing Vance walk back past criticisms of Trump and seek his support in the contentious GOP primary for Portman's seat.

Bridgeland also worked in the White House under former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In a 2020 essay, he said he was "encouraged" by President Joe Biden's election victory.

Vance: there was a "massive effort to shift the election"

Vance suggested Trump won Ohio in 2020 by a larger margin and told Spectrum News 1 that there was a "massive effort to shift the election by very powerful people." He's also criticized donations from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that allowed a nonprofit to award grants to local boards of election.

"If we don’t first protect our system and elect people who are willing to protect our system, we’re going to have power grabs and not policy debates within a legitimate system," Bridgeland said. "I’m worried enough that there’s so many candidates across the country who are going down that dark path."

Portman is backing Vance

Portman, for his part, is backing Vance after supporting former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken in the primary. Speaking to reporters this week, he commended Vance's campaign and argued that his policies on the economy and immigration are more closely aligned with what Ohioans want.

"I think he’s on his way to a victory in Ohio, and once the fundraising allows him to be on TV, to level the playing field, I think it’s even more likely that he’ll begin to improve some of the polling we’ve seen," Portman said.

The money from the Republican Accountability Project is a drop in the bucket compared to millions being spent by national GOP groups to boost Vance as he struggles to match Ryan's fundraising haul. Longwell said her organization is targeting a specific group of voters who are on the fence and may spend more in Ohio if needed.

"Sounds like another Lincoln Project styled grift," Vance spokesman Luke Schroeder said. "Congratulations to the out of state consultants who will line their pockets through this failing venture!"

Some Republicans in Ohio say Vance can't be trusted because of his inconsistent views on Trump

Ohio Republicans who provided testimonials for the campaign said Vance can't be trusted because of his inconsistent views on Trump, something the "Hillbilly Elegy" author has been open about on the campaign trail. Former state Rep. Joan Lawrence said she'll support Gov. Mike DeWine and other Republicans in the November election, but she's unwilling to vote for Vance because of his fealty to the former president.

She also believes the Republican Party as a whole no longer respects the separation of church and state enshrined in the Constitution.

"I really am ashamed to say I’m a Republican," Lawrence said. "It’s embarrassing."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Senate race: GOP group campaigning against J.D. Vance