Ohio Senator Not Running in ’22 Over ‘Partisan Gridlock’

Republican Rob Portman will not run for a third term for Ohio’s senator in 2022.

“This was not an easy decision because representing the people of Ohio has been the greatest honor of my career,” Portman said in a statement to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Protman, who served in Washington for nearly 30 years, cited the increasing mudslinging nature of national politics and the hardening of partisan attitudes.

“I don’t think any Senate office has been more successful in getting things done, but honestly, 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 told the newspaper. “I have consistently been named one of the most bipartisan Senators. I am proud of that and I will continue to reach out to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground.”

Portman’s seat would be expected to be a safe Republican seat; though Ohio’s other Senator is Democrat Sherrod Brown, Ohio has been tilting increasingly conservative over the past several years.

Portman first served in Congress as a member of the House from 1993 to 2005, representing Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District. He was elected to the Senate in 2010.

A respected, experienced conservative, Portman had been considered for Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012.