COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Dozens of Republican leaders in Ohio are mounting a last-minute effort to urge former President Donald Trump not to endorse Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance in the crowded upcoming primary for an open Senate seat.

A draft letter circulating among Republicans and obtained by The Associated Press calls on Trump to remain neutral in the race. It was written following a news report that Trump was going to endorse Vance, a step the former president has not yet taken .

But the letter is a sign of anxiety among some Republicans about which candidate Trump may pick in advance of the states May 3 primary. Vance has come under particular scrutiny from some of Trumps most loyal supporters for criticizing the former president in the past, something the Republicans highlighted in their letter.

In bullet points, they remind Trump of Vances past comments, including references to potentially supporting Hillary Clinton and comparing the former president to another opioid.

We know there are many qualified candidates in this race who have stood up for the America First agenda over the years and have carried the Trump mantle over the years, again with the notable exception of JD Vance, they wrote. While we were working hard in Ohio to support you and Make America Great Again, JD Vance was actively working against your candidacy.

The letter, signed by GOP party leaders, including a slew of county chairs, tells the former president that an endorsement that cuts against your support and legacy in Ohio will only serve to confuse or upset voters and may even suppress Republican turnout in the fall.