Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) announced on May 30 that he will not run for Senate next year.
“Running for Senate would effectively take me out of the fight in the House for 1.5 years to spend the vast majority of my time raising money,” he said in a May 30 letter to supporters (pdf), first reported by Cleveland.com.
“Although time spent with constituents in Ohio is the truest joy of the work, a very narrow majority in the House of Representatives means my vote will be essential on any bill that breaks on party lines—important issues,” he continued. “This would inevitably leave far less time than I would like to travel around Ohio meeting with people, hearing their perspectives, and explaining my views, values, and objectives in the office.”
Davidson, a member of the hard line Freedom Caucus, will instead run for reelection in the House, where he has represented Ohio’s 8th Congressional District since June 7, 2016, when he succeeded former Republican House Speaker John Boehner in a special election.
The Senate race in Ohio is crucial as the GOP looks to unseat two-term Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and take back the upper chamber, which Democrats control 51–49.
Despite announcing he will not challenge Brown, Davidson did not hold back about the senator.
“To be sure, one of the top frustrations for the House is having a weak Senate that consistently fails us on spending, on process, on confirmations, and on a sense of urgency to change the broken status quo—especially when led by Democrats,” Davidson said in the letter.
“As Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Sherrod Brown hasn’t moved a single bill on any subject through his committee. In fact, nothing has passed through Senate Banking since December 5, 2017,” he continued. “Meanwhile, the House passed bipartisan solutions to a host of issues, only to be ignored by the Senate. The prospect of changing the status quo there is immensely appealing. So, why not?”
Also in the letter, Davidson touted his work in Congress.
“I have been elevated ahead of my peers in the House Financial Services Committee, serving as Chairman of Housing and Insurance,” he wrote. “We have had early success with efforts to reform the House Foreign Affairs Committee—both in process and priorities.
“Lastly, staying focused on the House keeps me engaged in the substantive reforms that have built our narrow House majority and have thus far made it effective.”
