(Cincinnati) - Former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken has confirmed that she will run for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that Rob Portman says he will leave after 2022. Timken confirmed it in an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer, and then released her campaign's web page.
This would be Timken's first run at elected office, but she is no stranger to politics, having worked on the inside for years in the Stark County and Ohio Republican Parties. There is likely to be a GOP primary, as former State Treasurer Josh Mandel had already announced his plans to run for the Republican nomination. The two may also fight for the support of former President Donald Trump. Mandel says if elected, he would push for continuation of Trump-era policies, while Timken helped Trump raise money and collect votes for his 2016 and 2020 runs for the White House.
Timken grew up in Cincinnati, moving to Canton after law school, where she was appointed as a Stark County magistrate. She is married to Tim Timken, whose family is associated with the production of steel in Canton.
If elected, she would be the first woman from Ohio to serve in the U.S. Senate.
(Photo courtesy Ohio Republican Party)
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