Today Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich released a long list of endorsements from Connecticut’s establishment Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, Mayor Mark Boughton, and State Senator Tony Hwang, among others. Despite Kasich’s mild manners, however, his policies are just as extreme as the other GOP presidential candidates. So, these endorsements yield a fundamental question: Do these Connecticut Republicans share Kasich’s views on key issues including women’s rights and workers’ rights?

Connecticut Democratic Party Executive Director Alynn Woischke released the following statement:

“John Kasich is far from the moderate candidate he pretends to be. As governor, he severely restricted a woman’s right to choose, with more than half of Ohio’s abortion providers closing thanks to his draconian policies. Like many other extreme Republican governors, he has defunded Planned Parenthood, stripping critical health care services including cancer screening and HIV/AIDS testing from low-income Ohio women. He also tried to take away collective bargaining rights from many Ohio workers, until voters soundly rejected his proposal.

“Connecticut voters deserve better than Governor Kasich’s extreme policies. Mark Boughton, Len Fasano, and Tony Hwang do not deserve a free pass on this endorsement. Their constituents deserve to know: Do they stand with John Kasich on his attacks on women’s and workers’ rights?”