Sen. Rob Portman Will Not Seek Re-Election

CINCINNATI, OH — Sen. Rob Portman will not seek re-election in 2022, he announced Monday.

During a news conference, the 65-year-old Republican blamed partisan gridlock for his decision to leave office. Portman has been one of Ohio's two senators since 2010.

"I remember when Ted Kennedy and Bob Dole would sit down and write legislation. That's rarer and rarer. We're in an environment where that's harder to do," he said.

"We live in an increasingly polarized country where members of both parties are being pushed further to the right and further to the left, and that means too few people who are actively looking to find common ground," Portman added.

The senator said there are a number of "qualified Republicans" who could win his seat in 2022. He specifically named Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted as possible candidates, but Portman declined to name a specific preference in successor.

"I haven't talked to anybody in particular about running but there are a bunch of great candidates out there," he said.

One of the more contentious issues Portman has recently weighed in on is the culpability of former President Donald Trump in the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The senator said Trump should be held responsible for inciting violence, but also indicated Democrats have a heavy burden to prove the president should be impeached after leaving office.

Portman said he is concerned about Democrats interest in eliminating the Senate filibuster. He said forced bipartisanship can create better, more sustainable legislation. He also blasted Democrats for shoehorning unrelated items into COVID-19 legislation, citing cybersecurity funding as one example.

"As we go into this COVID-19 legislation, let's not raise taxes, let's not increase regulations, let's not decrease opportunities for people," he said.

Portman's current tenure ends in 2022. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a progressive Democrat, is Ohio's other senator.