The former Chair of the Ohio Republican Party jumped into the state’s open Senate race today, officially kick-starting a “crowded and nasty” primary battle for the GOP nomination, with a field that’s expected to continue to grow. Within moments of Jane Timken’s announcement, corrupt politician Josh Mandel took to Twitter to lob attacks against his new opponent as both candidates rushed to distance themselves from former Republican governor John Kasich and establish their position as the true MAGA candidate in the race. The competition to be the former president’s number one sycophant is already threatening to “set off an arms race” and push the candidates “too far one way” in the primary, creating general election trouble.
The messy primary battle in Ohio is quickly demonstrating why Senator Portman’s retirement last month created a major liability for Republicans in this battleground state, while Democrats gained another improved pickup opportunity as “open seats are more difficult to defend.” As a civil war threatens to tear Republicans apart at the national level, GOP strategists are growing increasingly worried about exactly what is happening in Ohio right now –– ugly primaries that “yield candidates or divisions that squander otherwise winnable races.”
“Ohio’s Republican primary field is already becoming a headache as GOP leaders in Washington struggle to deal with eroding support from their voters, a bitterly divided caucus, and a multitude of toxic internal feuds,” said DSCC spokesperson Stewart Boss. “This messy and divisive primary is off to a rough start, and it’s only going to get worse.”
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