When it came time to vote in 2016, John Kasich went back to 2008

If Donald Trump loses by one in Ohio, he'll know who to blame.

On Monday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, one of Trump's former rivals during the Republican presidential primary, mailed in his absentee ballot. He did not vote for his party's nominee, spokesman Chris Schrimpf told Cleveland.com, but rather wrote in 2008's: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

During the primary, Kasich promised to vote for the eventual Republican nominee, but officially changed his stance earlier this month, saying he can't vote for someone "who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country." Kasich isn't entirely turning his back on the GOP, though — Schrimpf said his political committee has given the maximum contributions to Republican candidates in competitive Senate races. Because McCain was not one of the certified write-in candidates in Ohio, the vote won't count, but Kasich sure did send a message.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up