Take Rep. Jim Jordan out of the running of potential candidates for Ohio’s open Senate seat in 2022.
The Ohio Republican and ally of former President Donald Trump will run for reelection to Congress in 2022 and not for the open Senate seat, a campaign spokesman for Jordan reportedly said on Thursday.
The move suggests that Jordan, who recently helped lead the opposition to impeaching Trump and objections to Electoral College votes, could be eyeing a future in House leadership. He is the former chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and ran for speaker of the House in 2018.
Ohio’s Republican Sen. Rob Portman announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection for another term in the Senate. The announcement of his retirement was a surprise to many Republicans.
“It has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision,” Portman said.
While Ohio has trended Republican in recent elections, the open Senate seat could make it a top 2022 battleground race.
Ohio’s Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan is another possible candidate for the Senate seat. He has publicly said that he is “very interested” in running for the seat.
“Very soon, I will say, there will be a decision that will be made,” he said on Tuesday.
Other potential Republican contenders who have not ruled out running include Josh Mandel, the former Ohio State Treasurer who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2012, Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and Rep. Bill Johnson.
