As polls tighten in the race to fill the Ohio Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Rob Portman, the two leading Republican contenders are swiping at each other’s anti-abortion bona fides as they jostle to lock down the conservative base.
Businessman Mike Gibbons, who has captured the lead in recent polling, cut an ad last Thursday bashing rival Josh Mandel for “flip-flopping” on abortion as he tries to stave off flak for supposedly being “squishy” on abortion in the past.
MIKE GIBBONS TAKES LEAD IN REPUBLICAN RACE FOR OHIO SEAT
“Mike Gibbons is a pro-choice candidate who is desperately trying to distract voters from his statement that he ‘wouldn’t choose’ for women,” a spokesperson for Mandel shot back in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “Now Mike Gibbons and his staff are trying to cover up the fact that he doesn’t understand his own campaign ads or his position on life.”
A Politifact check from 2011 cast doubt on claims from former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland that Mandel used to be “pro-choice.” When asked for evidence, the Gibbons campaign pointed to a video from 2012 when Mandel was pressed on whether he would support a carve-out in abortion restrictions for instances of rape. Mandel was evasive in his answer and emphasized he was “proud to be pro-life.” The campaign also referenced a debate between Mandel and Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2012 in which Mandel noted he supported an exemption for the life of the mother.
“Josh Mandel is lying, and he knows it,” Brianna Kraemer, press secretary at Gibbons for Ohio Senate Campaign, told the Washington Examiner. “Mike Gibbons is 100% pro-life. This false narrative was debunked in the 2018 cycle. Josh Mandel is using gutter tactics to try to save his sinking campaign. The reality is Josh Mandel has flip-flopped on abortion as he is willing to say and do anything to win an election.”
At an event last week, an attendee questioned Gibbons for his ad that accused Mandel of flip-flopping on abortion. The candidate said his campaign put the ad together and argued Mandel was softer on abortion early in his career. A staffer for Gibbons booted the attendee from the event. Kraemer described the man as a “tracker” and noted he left after being asked multiple times.
The OH GOP Senate primary is never boring. A guy asks Mike Gibbons about an ad about Josh Mandel’s position on abortion. As Gibbons starts blaming his staff, the guy filming gets thrown out. pic.twitter.com/9H70AdkUEV
— Ron Filipkowski ?? (@RonFilipkowski) March 12, 2022
Gibbons has faced criticism in the primary for a 2017 interview with the Associated Press while he was vying for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Brown. The outlet noted he opposed abortion, supported overturning Roe v. Wade, and favored defunding Planned Parenthood. But a line in the article caught the eyes of some of his opponents, hoping to cast him as a flip-flopper on the hot-button issue.
“Gibbons, who’s Catholic, initially told AP he personally opposes abortion but, politically, he’s ‘not a woman’ so wouldn’t choose for them. He said he wasn’t ‘pro-choice,’ though, but ‘pro-people,’” the article read.
Rival J.D. Vance, for example, criticized Gibbons as being “squishy” on the topic. Kraemer countered this, citing Gibbons’s support for the state’s heartbeat bill and an anti-abortion op-ed he recently penned for the Ohio Star.
Scrutiny of Gibbons has intensified in recent weeks as he has taken the lead in polls, rising above a crowded field. The RealClearPolitics aggregate of primary polling has Gibbons up by 1.3% over the nearest opponent, Mandel.
This marks a sharp turnaround from January when Mandel confidently proclaimed to the Washington Examiner, “I’m going to be the nominee,” citing his commanding lead in the polls at the time.
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There are strong indications many Republican primary voters remain undecided in the contentious race. A Fox News poll surveyed 918 primary voters between March 2–5 and found 24% of respondents were undecided. The poll had a margin of error of 3%.
Another card in the race is former President Donald Trump, who has stayed out of the fray in the race so far despite the leading candidates touting their Trump credentials. A Trump endorsement could upend the race, given Republican voter enthusiasm for the former president in Ohio.
Last month, Portman, opting not to run for reelection, endorsed contender Jane Timken, who is hovering around fourth place in most of the recent polling. On the Democratic side, Rep. Tim Ryan has consistently held a commanding lead in his primary contest. The election is just a few months away — set to take place on May 3.
