Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, spoke to members of the media as he walked down the Senate subway at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A group of power brokers in Ohio have been contacting business leaders across the state to try to recruit them to run for Republican Rob Portman in the Senate in 2022, in an effort to prevent pro-Trump candidates from winning this one. contest, according to people familiar with the matter.
Some of the people who have begun associating with potential candidates include donors and business types close to former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, those people said.
Kasich is one of the most prominent critics of Army President Donald Trump. He was one of the few Republicans to attend the Democratic National Convention over the summer to support Joe Biden.
The possibility of trying to win Republican primaries in what appears to be a divided party is leading some executives to choose not to join. Among those who have addressed the Republican and Democratic sides is the CEO of a central business advocacy group in Ohio, a venture capital and digital marketing executive.
Several people are hesitant to enter the race because the Republican primaries will involve a battle for the party base and probably the endorsement of Trump himself. If he endorses it, Trump will likely support someone more aligned with his agenda rather than a more traditional Republican.
Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, will not be running for Portman, his office recently announced. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, said in a statement yesterday that after meeting with Trump, the former president “is committed to helping Republicans in the House and Senate in 2022.” .
Republican politicians loyal to Trump who appear to be involved in the mix include Rep. Steve Stivers and Ohio Republican Party President Jane Timken.
Political strategists say they are not surprised by the effort to find a candidate with a business vocation. It’s the latest sign that Republican primaries for Portman’s seat will be expansive.
“It will probably be a huge field in the Republican Party primaries, with options from all ideological fringes,” Charlie Black, a former Kasich strategist, told CNBC. “It’s to be expected,” Black said of hiring business leaders, “but there will be conservative candidates who aren’t married to Trump.”
Portman announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2022 because “it has become increasingly difficult to overcome the party blockade and move forward on fund policy,” he said. Portman was a Republican lawmaker who voted to maintain the results of the Electoral College confirming Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Executives with Republican ties who have already experienced attempts to get them in the race include Alex Fischer, the president and CEO of The Columbus Partnership, and Mark Kvamme, a venture capitalist who has been in Ohio for more of a decade, according to known people. .
Another person said that Nancy Kramer, founder of the Ohio-based digital marketing agency Resource / Ammirati, has been another executive who has participated as a candidate for the Democratic side. IBM acquired Kramer in 2016.
Fischer’s Columbus Partnership is a business advocacy group for the city of Columbus and downtown Ohio. Fischer also received public recognition for helping keep the MLS football team, the Columbus Crew, in the city when they considered moving to Texas.
Kvamme and Fischer told CNBC that they are not interested in running for the Senate, although it has approached them. Kramer, who is currently at IBM iX in Columbus, did not return any feedback requests.
“Yes, some people have called me. I’m flattered,” Kvamme told CNBC. “Maybe one day I’ll get into the political scene, but my time is better spent proving to my friends in California that Ohio and the Midwest are the next big place to create and build technology companies.”
Fischer, who was once deputy governor of Tennessee before moving to Ohio, said he is not interested in running despite discussion in political circles.
“No, I’m not thinking or positioning it any other way. Obviously, there’s a lot of discussion in political circles,” Fischer told CNBC. “In my conversations, there is a growing frustration with the general political environment, the inability to solve problems and collaborate between political parties to work together. There is also a desire to see business leaders get more involved. actively, “he added.
On the Democratic side, Axios reported that Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health, could also be in the mix. Former Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman has said he plans to run. Representative Tim Ryan, a former presidential candidate, has said he is “seriously looking” at the candidacy.