After Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced he would not be running for reelection to the U.S. Senate, several Ohio lawmakers have indicated interest in filling the seat.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) has represented Ohio’s 13th congressional district since 2013, and recently won reelection in 2020. After a short-lived presidential campaign, which ended in 2019, Ryan seemingly turned his focus to state politics.
In the past week, Ryan has been making calls indicating he will run for Portman’s Senate seat. Ryan released a statement that further indicated his interest.
“I’ve been hearing from Democrats across Ohio and the country who are excited at the possibility of picking up a Senate seat that we haven’t held in decades,” Ryan said in his statement. “I have been encouraged by their support, enthusiasm, and commitment. The U.S. Senate needs another working-class voice, and I’m very serious about the opportunity to continue representing the people of Ohio.”
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who ran against Portman for his seat in 2016 spoke highly of Ryan in a recent interview. “I’ve always considered him just an exceptional political talent. So when I heard that Rob was not going to seek reelection, it seemed to me that Tim was the person best-positioned to take on that challenge. I encouraged him to do it. He hasn’t made any public commitment to do that. But I think he’s strongly moving in that direction, and I hope he does. And I think if he does, he has a good chance of winning.”
