Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene storm Ohio as Senate candidates make final pitch

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Republicans fighting for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat brought in reinforcements from across the country on Saturday as they made a last-ditch effort to win voters ahead of Tuesday's primary.

The appearances from high-profile GOP leaders such as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia aimed to energize Republicans who are divided over the candidates and in some cases, still unsure who to support.

U.S. Senate race in Ohio: 7 Republicans, 3 Democrats face off in primaries to replace Portman

Seven Republicans will face off Tuesday for the chance to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman: former state treasurer Josh Mandel, "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, investment banker Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, state Sen. Matt Dolan, and businessmen Mark Pukita and Neil Patel.

On the Democratic side, Congressman Tim Ryan is running against attorney Morgan Harper and tech executive Traci Johnson.

The GOP primary has been far more contentious than the Democratic race, particularly in its final days. Former President Donald Trump's endorsement of Vance gave the venture capitalist a critical boost at the tail end of his campaign, but it incensed some Republicans who haven't forgiven Vance's criticism of Trump in 2016.

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The endorsement also escalated tensions between Vance and Mandel, who led the polls for several months before Trump made his decision. A Washington, D.C.-based group backing Mandel ramped up attack ads highlighting Vance's past comments, while a pro-Vance super PAC revived Mandel's previous appearances with moderate Republicans such as Mitt Romney, John McCain and former Gov. John Kasich.

On Saturday, Cruz scoffed at the ad as he campaigned with Mandel at High Street Baptist Church near Columbus. He argued the former state treasurer is the only candidate in the race with a conservative record to back his rhetoric.

"Did I miss something where there were Republicans that didn't support the Republican presidential nominees in 2008 and 2012?" Cruz said. "That strikes me as a very silly attack. My God, you voted for the Republican candidate for president."

Vance campaigns with Greene, Gaetz

Vance, meanwhile, barnstormed Ohio with Greene and Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida lawmaker who is under federal investigation over whether he had a relationship with a 17-year-old girl. Speaking to reporters in West Chester, Vance emphasized that Gaetz has not yet been convicted of a crime.

“Being accused of a crime, as we’ve learned in the past four years in this country, is very often more about corrupt law enforcement than it is about anything anybody’s actually done," he said. "Do I think Matt Gaetz is a child sex predator? Of course I don’t."

Greene and Gaetz presented Vance as a "visionary leader" who believes in policies supported by former president Trump. In East Canton, Gaetz said the race in Ohio will serve as a "table setter" for primaries across the country.

"I think what we need is to embrace the populist energetic realignment that President Trump led for our country," he said.

'This is about Ohio'

For some candidates, the out-of-state visitors were proof that their opponents aren't focused on issues important to Ohio voters.

"We have outsiders – we have Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz – coming into Ohio to tell Ohioans how they should vote for J.D. Vance," Dolan said in a recent radio interview. "Ohioans don't even know, so now we have to rely on outsiders? Josh is closing with Ted Cruz coming in. This is about Ohio."

A new poll from Emerson College placed Dolan in third place behind Vance and Mandel, the latest survey to show him gaining ground in the campaign's final days. The state senator also secured an endorsement Saturday from former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft.

But multiple polls – released before and after Trump's endorsement – have suggested the race remains close with many voters still undecided. Portman, who campaigned with Timken on Saturday, said such a "spirited campaign" has left people wondering what to believe about each of the candidates.

The retiring senator reiterated his endorsement of Timken, calling her the GOP's best chance to keep the seat in Republican hands. As for whether he thinks Vance could win a general election?

"I don't know," Portman said. "I really don't know. Ohio is a more red state today."

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.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate race: Ted Cruz, Matt Gaetz stump for GOP candidates