OH-Sen: Portman Will Run

Little Bobby Portman wants to make good:

Rob Portman will run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, the former Cincinnati congressman told The Enquirer.

“I’ve made up my mind. I really think that our state is in such deep economic trouble right now, and our country has so many challenges that it’s time to step forward,” Portman said in a phone interview.

Portman, 53, of Terrace Park, said he will make a formal announcement of his candidacy at an 11 a.m. event at the Golden Lamb in Lebanon. He’ll then depart on a two-day campaign announcement tour through the state with stops in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus and ending back in Cincinnati with an event at the Montgomery Inn on Thursday.

I’m really looking forward to watching the DSCC do their thing against this Bush lackey. Still, I have to wonder if any of the other potential candidates (Ken Blackwell, state Auditor Mary Taylor, and Mike DeWine) will make it a contested GOP primary. Let’s hope so!

25 thoughts on “OH-Sen: Portman Will Run”

  1. Which I guess for Portman is a good strategy, Ohio’s a pretty big state with many media markets and so many various constituencies, he needs to begin early to establish his image before he can let either primary or partisan opponents tarnish it. But from what I’ve heard about his career background, it’s pretty tarnished as it is. Case in point:

    “I’ve made up my mind. I really think that our state is in such deep economic trouble right now, and our country has so many challenges that it’s time to step forward,”

    Yeah, Rob. Your state’s in such deep doo-doo right now, and it’s somewhat because you were OMB Director under Bush, remember? Who was in charge of fiscal policy under the administration that shipped all those Ohio jobs overseas? YOU WERE!

    I’m pretty certain Tim Ryan would end up being the Democratic nominee. As for any Republican challengers, I doubt any of the major ones you mentioned. Maybe some minor state legislator or some other guy would give it a go, but they won’t get the nod.

  2. I find this article’s somewhat misleading, because it gives the assumption that the GOP in 2010 would be capable of picking up new seats, which is what I assumed. But they were really just referring to Ohio, Missouri and Florida, which they currently hold anyway. So they won’t be really “new” seats taken from Democrats.

    Another thing, Politico needs to get its facts straight. Case in point:

    …the party’s uphill 2006 election victories of Sen. Susan Collins in Maine and Reps. Dave Reichert of Washington, Erik Paulsen of Minnesota and Leonard Lance of New Jersey in highly competitive House districts.

    2006? That’s 2008, numbnuts!

    And I loved that line to describe Rob Portman from the DSCC:

    Rob Portman? The architect of the Bush economy?

    Sounds like Karl Rove’s not the only architect that Bush knows.

  4. Former Senator Mike DeWine (R) is making calls to see if he has the support to run.  State Auditor Mary Taylor (R) is considering.  Former OH-Attorney General Jim Petro is considering.  

    Attorney General Richard Cordray (D) says he’s out, and so does Mayor Coleman (D).  

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