Reviewing politics
and culture since 1913

  1. Long reads
20 October 2010updated 12 Oct 2023 9:54am

Ohio – Senate

Lee Fisher (D) v Rob Portman (R)

By Rob Higson

The Democratic candidate, Lee Fisher, the state’s lieutenant governor, is struggling against the Republican Rob Portman, whom some polls have as crossing the 50 per cent mark in a state where Barack Obama’s approval ratings remain low.

A recent CBS poll of Ohio voters found that 38 per cent approve of Obama’s handling of the economy, while 55 per cent disapprove. Portman, 54, announced his candidacy when the Ohio senator George Voinovich said he would not be running for re-election.

A former congressman who served as director of budget and trade policy adviser to President George W Bush, Portman has amassed a significant war chest – larger by a ratio, the Washington Post suggests, of 8:1 compared to that of his Democrat rival.

As in so many states, “jobs” has become a critical issue in Ohio. Portman has been keen to stress throughout the campaign that Ohio has lost 400,000 jobs.

The Republican has been described as one to watch in future years.

Previous race: Florida – Senate

Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month

Next race: Washington – Senate

Content from our partners
Cyber attacks are evolving – so too must government response
The public sector's rocky-road to innovation
Meeting missions. Creating jobs. Building careers.