On the day the Ohio senator announced this would be his last term, several Republicans and Democrats expressed interest in his seat.
Republican Senator Rob Portman, in hopes of giving Republicans who want to replace him “plenty of time to gear up,” announced his decision not to run for re-election on Monday. Within hours, politicians of both parties began to signal their interest in the 2022 race for his seat. Highest on the list of people to watch is Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, a close ally of former President Trump. Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell soon tweeted his support for Jordan. “I sure hope Jim Jordan is ready to answer the call,” Blackwell said. But other Republicans in Ohio’s congressional delegation may be contemplating a run, too. Jordan’s House colleague, Representative Mike Turner, said in a statement that he would “continue to look to the opportunity where I can best serve our community, state and country.” Turner said that for now, his focus is on his constituents. Republican Congressman Brad Wenstrup issued a statement saying that he has “been called to public service” throughout his life and would discuss his political future with family and colleagues. Republican Congressman Steve Stivers is also considering running for the Senate seat, according to someone familiar with his thinking. Josh Mandel, a former Ohio state treasurer, said in a statement that he would “very seriously” consider a Senate run. In 2012, Mandel lost a Senate bid to incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. Other statewide Republican politicians, including Attorney General Dave Yost, are also mulling a potential run.
