CINCINNATI, Ohio – The founder and president of the Turning Point Action conservative political advocacy nonprofit has endorsed businessman and tech industry venture capitalist J.D. Vance in the Ohio GOP’s nomination contest for the U.S. Senate.
Charlie Kirk, whose affiliated Turning Point USA organization educates and organizes high school and college students in the principles of freedom, cited Vance’s commitment to “defeating the institutional left” in the endorsement statement. Kirk also said there is “no one more committed” than Vance.
“[Vance] will fight to secure the border and cut immigration to protect America voters, break up Big Tech companies that censor conservatives, stop all COVID mandates and vaccine passports, and lead the charge against racist Critical Race Theory in our schools and military,” said Kirk in the Vance campaign press release.
“Fundamentally, J.D. not only understands the importance of reducing the power of our out-of-control Federal Government,” the statement sent to The Ohio Star said, “but also the importance of reducing the power of (politically) woke multinational corporations who attempt to impose their values on Middle America.”
Turning Point Action is a 501(c)(4) political nonprofit organization that may make political endorsements as it did in support of Vance.
Kirk started Phoenix-Arizona-based Turning Point USA – a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit – in June 2012. Its stated mission is “to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”
It boasts a presence on more than 2,500 high school and higher education campuses nationwide, including 25 in Ohio.
In the news release, Vance welcomed Kirk’s endorsement.
"JD represents the next generation of fearless conservative leaders and Ohio voters can count on him to take the fight to the radical left in defense of their values." – @charliekirk11
Charlie Kirk, founder & president of @TPUSA, endorses JD Vance for U.S. Senate. Read more: pic.twitter.com/U2IZgHzxm8
— JD Vance for U.S. Senate Press (@JDVancePress) September 22, 2021
“Charlie knows that our country is headed in a downward spiral,” Vance said in the campaign statement. “To win this country back and make it possible for middle- and working-class Ohioans to build lives of dignity, we need a movement that serves them and pushes back against leftist control of our institutions.”
Vance’s campaign has generated multiple headlines over the past few weeks. After gaining an endorsement from Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), Vance signed onto a lawsuit with the Claremont Institute in support of Ohio’s bid to regulate Google like a public utility.
Furthermore, Vance encouraged all businesses with more than 100 employees to “not comply” with the broad COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued by President Joe Biden.
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Brian R. Ball is a veteran Columbus journalist reporting for The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Send news tips to [email protected]. The Star News Network’s Cooper Moran contributed to this story.
Photo “Charlie Kirk” by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “J.D. Vance Rally” by JD Vance.
