Trump Praises Ohio GOP House Candidate Balderson, Slams Kasich

President Donald Trump on Monday offered praise for Rep. Troy Balderson, a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio, and also slammed Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

"The very unpopular governor of Ohio (and failed presidential candidate) John Kasich hurt Troy Balderson’s recent win by tamping down enthusiasm for an otherwise great candidate… credit to Troy on the big win!" Trump said in a tweet.

An official winner in the special election has not been announced, and Balderson has a less than one-percent advantage over Democratic candidate Danny O’Connor, Cleveland.com reported.

The special election will allow the winner to fill the seat until November, when Balderson and O’Connor will compete again for the full two-year congressional term, Cleveland.com reported.

Kasich belatedly endorsed Balderson, the Columbus, Ohio Dispatch reported.

Kasich has been a frequent critic of Trump. In response to Trump’s tweet, Kasich sent a video clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin laughing.

• Trump Makes Last-Minute Appeal for Ohio GOP House Candidate Balderson
• Kasich: Tight Ohio Special Election ‘Doesn’t Bode Well’ for GOP