Jim Renacci, one of the primary challengers taking on Governor Mike DeWine in 2022, knocked the governor’s decision to accept nearly 900 Afghan refugees.

According to Renacci, the decision from DeWine does not prioritize the needs of citizens throughout the state and proves DeWine is not a “true conservative.”

“This is another example of Mike DeWine putting Ohio Last. Instead of helping Ohioans who have lost their jobs and businesses as a result of his shutdown and getting our own house in order, DeWine is prioritizing refugees who are coming into the state because Joe Biden left a complete mess in Afghanistan. Time and time again DeWine proves he is no true conservative, but instead a feckless RINO who will never fight for our values. It is time to send him packing,” Renacci said in a statement.

DeWine announced on Thursday that the state would accept a total of 855 refugees as a part of the U.S. Department of State’s Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) Program. The program aims to relocate the first group of Afghan evacuees, totaling approximately 37,000 individuals nationwide.

“These are individuals who have been partners with the United States and deserve our support in return for the support they’ve given us,” said Governor DeWine. “Thank you to the resettlement agencies and communities who have stepped forward and demonstrated they have the resources necessary to help these individuals in their time of need.”

Previously, Renacci advised the state of Ohio to “clean our own house” before accepting any refugees.

“What I’m hearing from people on the ground is they want us to clean our own house first, get our own economy booming before we start bringing additional people in,” Renacci told Breitbart News during a press conference on Thursday. “That’s a serious issue, and many Republicans are not happy with some of the stances Governor DeWine is taking, like this one, saying that he’s going to be bringing in refugees when we have so many issues.”

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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].