Ho Sit Down: Ohio Governor Says He Doesn’t “Need Black People”

An Ohio lawmaker is accusing the state’s new governor of saying he doesn’t “need” African-Americans. “I don’t need your people,” state Sen. Nina Turner said Republican Gov. John Kasich told her when she offered her help in building a racially diverse cabinet. All 22 of Kasich’s appointees since he took office Jan. 10 have been white, and only five are female. Turner, who is black and a Democrat, said on Thursday that she was “kind of perplexed” by Kasich’s comment. “ I wasn’t quite sure whether or not he was referring to my ethnic group people or ‘my people’ as in the 350,000 constituents I serve in this state that represent all ethnic groups, all religious groups,” she said. “I didn’t understand what ‘I’m not going to hire your people’ means.”

But Turner said she thinks it has something to do with race. “Today, in 2011, it feels more like 1811 in the state of Ohio under a governor who just does not get it,” she said. Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols confirmed to POLITICO that the governor did tell Turner he didn’t need her “people,” but said he meant it in an entirely partisan way. “What he meant was, ‘Your people are Democrats, we don’t need them on our cabinet,’” Nichols said. “He said it referring to partisan Democrats who don’t agree with reducing taxes and reducing spending.”

Kasich had not yet appointed any African-Americans to his cabinet, but that’s not for lack of trying, Nichols said. “We have reached out to two African-Americans for two different cabinet-level positions, and they passed on the opportunity.” But Turner is dissatisfied with Kasich’s efforts. “Through his actions and deeds, Gov. Kasich has declared that Ohio is open for business, but if you are African-American, you need not apply,” she said.

Turner and the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus are “demanding” a meeting with Kasich, the group’s president, state Rep. Sandra Williams, told The Columbus Dispatch. The group has set up an e-mail address to which qualified minority applicants can send their resumes. “We will take those resumes — walk those resumes over to our governor to let him know that there are qualified people of color in this state, and we are demanding employment,” Williams said Thursday.

Nichols said that Kasich welcomes job applicants but will not choose candidates based on their race. “Diversity is something we will seek and something we will work toward, but it’s not more important than finding people who share the governor’s positions,” he said.