(Bloomberg) -- Ohio Representative Steve Stivers said Monday that he's leaving Congress to lead the state's chamber of commerce, taking one potential Republican out of the already crowded 2022 Senate primary to replace the retiring Rob Portman.
Stivers, 56, who was first elected to Congress in 2010 and had been considering a bid for the Senate, announced on Twitter that he'll be leaving Congress effective May 16 to accept the position of president and chief executive of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
“Throughout my career, I've worked to promote policies that drive our economy forward, get folks to work, and put our fiscal house in order,” Stivers said in a tweet. “I'm excited to announce that I will be taking on a new opportunity that allows me to continue to do that.”
The GOP Senate primary already includes announced candidates Josh Mandel, a former Ohio treasurer and two-time Senate candidate; Jane Timken, a former Ohio Republican Party chairwoman; Bernie Moreno, a car dealership owner and chairman of the blockchain technology company Ownum; and Ohio businessman Mike Gibbons.
The race so far has been dominated by the candidates' competing for who can show the most fealty to former President Donald Trump and win his endorsement, especially Mandel and Timken. Stivers was critical of Trump's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Other Republicans considering the race include Representative Mike Turner and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, who has support from a political action committee with $10 million from technology billionaire Peter Thiel.
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