GOP Sen. Voinovich Announces Retirement
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) has just made it official: He is retiring from the Senate, rather than run for a third term in 2010, setting up a potential top-tier race in 2010.
Voinovich easily won re-election back in 2004, but recent polling had showed him with lackluster approval ratings. That said, having him run as an incumbent would still almost certainly have been better for Republicans than having to deal with an open seat in a state that just voted for Barack Obama.
Both parties have deep benches in this state. Former Congressman and ex-White House Budget Director Rob Portman would start out as the immediate favorite for the Republican nomination if he wants it, while potential Dem candidates include Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Rep. Tim Ryan. Whoever the candidates turn out to be, expect this race to attract a lot of money and manpower.
I can't imagine Rob Portman would be a strong candidate given just how closely tied he in he is to Bush's second term economic policies.
Also: For true political junkies, Campaign Diaries has just launched an exhaustive database of Senate recruitment, cataloging all the names (and status) of politicians that are mentioned as possible candidates in the 2010 midterms (yes, that includes races like Vermont's and Arkansas's): http://campaigndiaries.com/recruitment
January 12, 2009 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is the first and only correct decision Voinovich has made since he has been in the Senate. He is a clone of Specter. Bluster against his party when he knows it is wrong but capitulates when it comes time to vote. He votes party rather than country. Remember the tax cuts he opposed? Rove scared the hell out of him and he did their bidding. That helped put the economy where it is now. Remember his opposition to Bolton? He came around but Bolton still couldn't get confirmed. Not because of Voinovich. Too bad he has two years to go. When DeWine was still in the Senate, Ohio had two Senators in the bottom five ranking. Wimps. Chances are knowing he won't be running again he will still vote party over country and the people.
January 12, 2009 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
It'll be interesting to see if Voinovich now considers himself freed of party constraints to do what's right and vote for Obama's agenda. OTH maybe he sees himself freed of his constituents' concerns and will vote for legislation that earns him the kind of money from big biz lobbyists he needs to retire in style.
January 12, 2009 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Senator Tim Ryan sounds pretty good to me.
January 12, 2009 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink