Ohio auditor expected to be Kasich’s running mate

COLUMBUS — Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor is planning to drop her re-election bid and become the running mate of Republican John Kasich in the race for governor, The Associated Press learned Tuesday.

Republican party sources confirmed Taylor’s selection for the AP, and a formal announcement is likely to come later this week, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the campaign.

Taylor, 43, is the Ohio GOP’s highest ranking nonjudicial officeholder and would add youth and diversity to a ticket that seeks to defeat Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland in November. Reports on Taylor’s likely selection were published Tuesday, first in The Columbus Dispatch and later in The Plain Dealer.

Strickland has not yet announced his running mate. On Tuesday, speculation was focussed on Yvette McGee Brown, a former juvenile judge who directs a Columbus nonprofit that advocates for children and families.