Ohio GOP Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the top Republican in the House, ruled out a future Senate run on Thursday. Speculation about a possible bid emerged after Ohio Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced he would not seek re-election in the 2022 midterm elections.
Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, a fierce defender of Trump, will not run for the Senate next year to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Rob Portman, according to a spokesman for his congressional campaign. He will run for re-election to the House of Representatives.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 28, 2021
CLEVELAND: Rep. Jim Jordan will not run for the US Senate next year
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) January 28, 2021
Spokesperson for a leading member of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives he said Cleveland.com that Jordan is not interested in running for the Senate and is focused on working for his district.
“[Jordan] is focused solely on representing the great people of Ohio’s Fourth District and will not seek to replace retiring Senator Rob Portman.” he said. “Mr. Jordan believes he is better suited at this time to represent Ohioans in the House of Representatives, where as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee he can advance an America First agenda, promote conservative values ​​and hold big government accountable.”
Republicans are on track to pick up one seat in the midterm elections, but they have a tough road ahead of them. The Ohio Senate contest is one of the few competitive seats on the 2022 map. Portman is the third GOP senator to choose not to seek re-election, while Sens. Pat Toomey (PA) and Richard Burr (NC) are also retiring.