Ohio lieutenant governor won’t run for Portman’s Senate seat

Ohio’s GOP Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said Wednesday he will not run for the Senate seat that will be vacated by GOP Sen. Rob Portman.

Portman, who has held office for almost three decades, announced Monday that he will not seek a third term in 2022. The retiring senator has opened the floodgates for a competitive race for potential replacements, as the state has trended right in recent years, making the seat increasingly competitive. 

After 48 hours of contemplation, Husted decided against pursuing the soon-to-be-vacant seat. 

“I was reminded how much I enjoy the challenges of my present job,” Husted said in a statement on Twitter.

After contemplating running for the Senate for 48 hours, I was reminded how much I enjoy the challenges of my present job… I intend to keep doing this job, run for reelection, and one day in the future, I intend to run for governor. #OHSen #OHGov pic.twitter.com/ucBf6Kf5Oc

— Jon Husted (@JonHusted) January 27, 2021

He noted that a future gubernatorial run more closely aligns with his career goals, adding, “I intend to keep doing this job, run for reelection, and one day in the future, I intend to run for governor.”

Husted explained that his passion remains with state-focused politics, and that he believes several good potential candidates for Portman already exist.

“I look forward to helping those people any way I can,” he concluded.

Several people have already expressed interest in taking over Portman’s seat, including several Ohio members of Congress and Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health.

Four House Republicans — Reps. Mike Turner, Steve Stivers, David Joyce and Brad Wenstrup — announced their intentions to run for the seat within hours of Portman’s announcement.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Tim Ryan and Rep. Joyce Beatty have also considered running for the seat.