Eric Watson, the Republican challenger seeking to unseat incumbent State Rep. Gary Click in Ohio’s 88th House District, has assembled a broad coalition of far-right endorsers ahead of the May 5 Republican primary — including national MAGA movement figures, an Ohio group that advocates eliminating electronic voting machines, and an abortion abolition organization that used its endorsement announcement to directly attack Click by name.

The endorsements mark a sharpening divide between the 2 Republicans competing for the Sandusky and Seneca County seat. While Watson has drawn support from outside Ohio’s political establishment, Click’s March 28 campaign kickoff in Clyde is set to feature Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, Ohio Treasurer and Secretary of State candidate Robert Sprague, and Ohio House Majority Whip Nick Santucci.

Click’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Cox, Lamb, and Sheridan back Watson

Among Watson’s endorsers is Chris Cox, founder of Bikers for Trump and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council under President Trump. Watson called Cox “a strong voice in the America First movement” and said he was grateful for his support “in our fight to bring conservative leadership to Ohio’s 88th District.”

Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb — who bills himself as “America’s Sheriff” and is running for Congress in Arizona’s 5th District with Trump’s endorsement — also backed Watson. “Your fearless stand for law and order, border security, and our constitutional rights has inspired patriots across this country,” Watson wrote in response. “To have the support of America’s Sheriff in this fight means everything.”

The third law enforcement endorsement came from Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan. In his statement, Watson referenced attending a “2020 Presidential Election Integrity Hearing” alongside Sheridan: “You told me that you had my back. You are a man of your word!”

Maricopa County was the focal point of repeated Republican-led challenges to Arizona’s 2020 presidential election results. Those challenges were rejected by state and federal courts, Arizona election officials certified the results, and a Republican-commissioned audit conducted by the firm Cyber Ninjas confirmed that Joe Biden carried the state.

Anti-voting machine group attacks Click by name

The Coalition of Concerned Voters of Ohio (CCVO), a self-described grassroots organization whose logo carries the tagline “Delete Voting Machines,” also endorsed Watson — and used the announcement to directly criticize Click.

In a written endorsement statement, CCVO Co-Directors Tom Howard and Tim Stechschulte wrote that Click “previously expressed support for House Bill 472 on hand-counted paper ballots and later withdrew that support,” while Watson “has demonstrated steadfast commitment to these principles.”

The group said Watson attended election-security conferences and Seneca County Board of Elections meetings before launching his campaign.

HB 472 would have required the state to replace all its voting machines while allowing citizens to propose requiring hand-counting of elections ballots on a county-by-county basis, something elections officials say would result in delayed and less accurate election results. Election security experts, including those at the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have consistently found that paper-based optical scan systems — the method currently used in Ohio — are more accurate and auditable than fully hand-counted processes. The bill has not advanced in the Ohio General Assembly.

Abortion abolition group endorses Watson, calls Click a disappointment

End Abortion Ohio, a Christian 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for a total legal ban on abortion in Ohio, endorsed Watson on March 4 — and issued some of the sharpest criticism of Click yet to appear in the primary.

In its endorsement statement, the group said Click had “more than ample opportunity” to champion House Bill 370, known as the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which would extend legal personhood rights to fetuses from the moment of conception — effectively seeking a total abortion ban. The group said Click “made it clear” he does not support equal protection legislation for what it terms preborn children and has refused to pursue personhood rights.

“I am genuinely disappointed in Rep. Click’s stance on the life issue,” said End Abortion Ohio President Austin Beigel. “He has been repeatedly presented with a path to real, equal protection for Ohio’s preborn children and has completely rejected it. What they’re getting from Representative Gary Click is a total lack of urgency or courage in Columbus.”

The group also cited Click’s failure to respond to its 2026 Candidate Survey, while Watson scored 100% on the same survey and completed multiple in-person interviews with the organization.

HB 370 has not advanced in the Ohio General Assembly. Ohio voters approved Issue 1 in November 2023, enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution with 57% of the vote.

Click courts Statehouse leadership

Click, who has represented the 88th District since 2021, is leaning into his Statehouse relationships for the 2026 campaign. His March 28 kickoff at Frankart Farm in Clyde will feature three of the most powerful Republican figures in Ohio government: Matt Huffman, who serves as Speaker of the Ohio House; Robert Sprague, the current state treasurer and a candidate for Secretary of State; and Nick Santucci, the House Majority Whip.

The event lists host committee levels ranging from $250 to $1,000, with general admission at $50 per person.

The Republican primary in Ohio’s 88th District is scheduled for May 5, 2026. The district covers Sandusky and Seneca Counties.