115 of 222 House Republicans Back Bush
A majority of Republicans in the House endorsed Texas Gov. George W. Bush for president Wednesday, backing him over House Budget Committee Chairman John R. Kasich (R-Ohio), another White House contender.
The endorsements by 115 of 222 House Republicans drew sharp responses from the campaigns of some of Bush’s rivals for the nomination, who include Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Bob Smith of New Hampshire.
Kasich spokesman Todd Harris said: “It is more important to us to have the backing of grass-roots activists in Iowa and New Hampshire than the backing of elected officials in Washington.”
Ari Fleischer, a spokesman for Republican presidential hopeful Elizabeth Hanford Dole, said that when she “becomes the nominee, she looks forward to welcoming them back into the fold, each and every one of them.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
