COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio Republican Chair Jane Timken has announced her run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to fill the soon to be open seat of retiring U.S. Senator Rob Portman.
In a YouTube video announcement, Timken said, "I'm running for the United States Senate to stand up for you just like when I stood next to President Trump and supported his America First agenda. It created jobs and brought manufacturing back to our shores." She went on to take a shot at former Republican Governor of Ohio John Kasich, who endorsed Joe Biden and spoke at last year's Democratic National Convention.
"As Ohio Republican Party Chairman I cleaned house of the Kasich establishment who tried to elect Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. I unified the party and delivered a second decisive Ohio win for President Trump. As your Senator, I will advance the Trump agenda without fear or hesitation," she said.
It's a lane she will face company in from former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who announced last week his run for the nomination, telling News 5 he holds the title of the former president's biggest Ohio supporter.
"When I go to Washington I'm going to advance that Trump agenda," Mandel said. "Even though he's not there he needs folks like me and others in the U.S. Senate to keep advancing that agenda."
In a letter to supporters, Mike Gibbons, a Cleveland businessman who ran against Jim Renacci for the Republican Senate nomination in 2018 and is considering another run, asked that the Ohio Republican Party not put their thumb on the scale with this race.
"With the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee preparing to elect a new Chairman and for the 2022 elections, I wanted to take a moment to ask that you help ensure that our primaries are decided by the voters of Ohio," he wrote.
"Ensuring victory… requires unity amongst all Republicans. It means allowing ALL Republicans to decide the nominees without interference, endorsement, and assistance from the select few members of the Ohio Republican Party's State Central Committee during the primary cycle," Gibbons wrote.
This will be the first run for public office 54-year-old Jane Timken. She was born in Cincinnati and now lives in Stark County where she raised her family with her husband Tim Timken, former CEO of TimkenSteel.
