Staff Writer
AP Photo
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks to officials. Portman announced he will not seek re-election in 2022.
LOCAL OFFICIALS are wishing Sen. Rob Portman well and looking forward to working with him through the remainder of his time in office after he announced Monday that he will not seek re-election when his term expires in 2022.
While expressing gratitude to Ohioans who voted him into office, Portman’s statement cited ongoing political division as one reason he will retire from office. Portman, R-Ohio, has been recognized as a highly bipartisan senator, known to reach out across the aisle to seek common ground. He said Monday that the division in government has made getting things done more difficult.
For The Intelligencer
FILE - This Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, file photo shows Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaking during a news conference in Washington. Portman is participating in a COVID-19 vaccine study, hoping to encourage others to volunteer to take part in testing. Portman said in an interview that as much as he supports such precautions as masking and social distancing, vaccine development, distribution and use are the best hope for reducing the pandemic s toll, and he wanted to what he could to help explain the great potential for these vaccines and the need for volunteers for trials. (Graeme Jennings/Pool Photo via AP, File)