TIFFIN, Ohio — Tiffin City Councilman Kevin Roessner, a Republican, said publicly this weekend that he has not endorsed state Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) and does not intend to endorse anyone in the District 88 race — and asked Click to stop saying otherwise.
He said it in a comment on Click’s own campaign Facebook page Sunday afternoon.
“My focus is entirely on serving our community without partisan bias,” Roessner wrote. “Engaging with candidates and attending local events reflects standard civic participation, not an endorsement. I exercise independent judgment, decline to enter campaign disputes, and will not be endorsing any candidate in this race. Please adjust your messaging accordingly. Thank you.”
It is the second time in about two weeks that Roessner, who represents Tiffin’s 3rd Ward and chairs City Council’s Finance Committee, has said he did not endorse Click. The first came in a statement to TiffinOhio.net in late July, after Click’s campaign page posted a photo captioned: “I am honored to have the support of Tiffin City Councilman Kevin Roessner.”
What Click posted
Roessner’s comment followed a post from the Click for Ohio page that expanded on the original claim rather than retreating from it.
“The Democrats have been peddling fake news for the last month that I somehow misled you about the support of Tiffin City Councilman Kevin Roessner,” Click wrote. “A picture is worth a thousand words. No one forced him to wear my T-shirt and hat or to pass out my merch. In fact he was eager to do it. That is support.”
In July, Roessner told TiffinOhio.net that the shirt had been supplied by the campaign for a community event. Click’s post added the hat and the distribution of campaign merchandise, and characterized Roessner as eager.
Click also gave a public account of a private conversation he said the two men had afterward.
“He was upset with how they were misrepresenting him but hated conflict and confrontation,” Click wrote. “He asked me what to do. I told him that I could not tell him what to do other than to be honest. If he lets the fake blog, my opponent, or the Democrats bully him now, they will own him forever. But it was not my place to tell him what to do.”
Click continued: “He thanked me and said that he hated how they misrepresented him but he didn’t know what to do when Dylan Poe emailed him. He concluded that if they did it just one more time, he would make a statement. Kevin is free to support whoever he wishes. I did not twist his arm. This race does not hinge on who he supports but he needs to be honest and stand on integrity.”
Click’s post names TiffinOhio.net publisher Dylan Poe and refers to this outlet as “the fake blog.” TiffinOhio.net reported the original endorsement dispute in July and is a subject of the post described in this article.
By Click’s own account, then, Roessner had set a condition: one more time, and he would speak. Click posted. Roessner spoke.
What Roessner did not say
Roessner’s comment is a general statement about endorsements. It does not respond to Click’s specific new assertions.
He did not address the hat. He did not say whether he distributed campaign merchandise. He did not respond to Click’s characterization of him as “eager,” and he neither confirmed nor disputed Click’s account of their private conversation, including the statement Click attributed to him about what he would do if the matter came up again.
The photos attached to Click’s post show Roessner in a white T-shirt reading “America 250” and “Gary Click / State Rep.” and a white cap, carrying red drawstring bags and a red disc that appear to be campaign items.
In his July statement, Roessner said: “My goal was simply to participate in the historic 250th celebration alongside fellow community leaders, not to campaign—the shirt was offered solely for the event from a patriotic perspective.” He said then that he had no plans to make endorsements and would “continue to keep my voting choices personal.”
Roessner is listed among Tiffin’s elected officials on the Seneca County Republican Party’s website. Tiffin council seats are filed on a non-partisan basis under the city’s open primary system. He serves on council with Aaron Jones, the Democrat challenging Click in November.
The race
The post drew a mix of reactions and several comments, including one supporter who wrote, “Looks like support to me! Keep the fight up Gary.”
Click won his May Republican primary by fewer than 600 votes and lost Seneca County, where Roessner and Jones both serve on council. He faces Jones, an Army veteran and manufacturing supervisor, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in what would be his final term under Ohio’s term limits.
