COLUMBUS, Ohio—As Republican Gov. John Kasich travels the country in a quest for the presidency, his people back home want Ohioans to know that he’s still focused on his day job. As his spokesman put it: “his cellphone works just as well in Cincinnati, Iowa, as it works in Cincinnati, Ohio.”
But is he just phoning it in? That’s a question every officeholder running for the presidency faces.
Rivals have hit Florida’s Marco Rubio with mounting criticism over his spotty attendance record in the Senate.
The freshman senator has missed 31 percent of the votes this year, including every vote held so far in October. That’s more than any of the other three senators competing for the GOP nomination.
Kasich, one of three governors vying for the White House, has held just three public events in Ohio since joining the race nearly three months ago. Like his rivals, he’s been tromping through the early voting states of New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa and more.
The governor’s spokesman, Jim Lynch, says Kasich remains in frequent contact with legislative leaders, his Cabinet members and other senior administration staff.
“In this day and age, the operations of the state are not impacted by being out of the office,” Lynch said, noting the governor can easily dial his home state while he’s away.
A cellphone connection won’t always cut it for senators, who must be in Washington to vote on legislation or ask questions at congressional hearings.
Rubio missed a key vote on defunding Planned Parenthood last month, campaigning at a Florida retirement community instead. After calling out the Obama administration for not doing more to free Americans held in Iran, he skipped voting on a Senate resolution demanding the Americans’ release. Instead he attended a fundraiser.
Rubio’s competitors have taken note of his absences, especially since his strong performance in last month’s presidential debate moved him up in polls.
Republican front-runner Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted Rubio’s no-shows. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has stepped up his criticism of senators who miss votes.
