Timken Joins US Senate Race, As Both Candidates Fight For Pro-Trump Label

The contest for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate is now a real race, now that the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party has done as many expected and jumped into the race. It’s shaping up to be a battle over which candidate can tie themselves more closely to former president Donald Trump.

Jane Timken launched her campaign with a highly produced video and website, promoting her praise for Trump’s policies and connections to Trump – who won Ohio by eight points but lost the election.

And Timken also blasts former Gov. John Kasich, who earned the scorn of many Ohio Republicans for his criticism of Trump. Timken became Ohio Republican Party chair by ousting Kasich's handpicked chair Matt Borges after Trump won in 2016.

Among those criticizing Timken her likely opponent, former state treasurer Josh Mandel, who tweeted out an old photo of Timken and Kasich in a happy embrace.

Mandel also said through a spokesman that he “is the only unabashedly pro-Trump candidate in this race”.

Mandel also claimed Timken "flip-flopped" on Trump’s impeachment, which he called a "sham" and "unconstitutional". Sen. Rob Portman, who Mandel and Timken want to replace, used that claim in defending his vote against convicting Trump last weekend.

Timken also called the impeachment a sham in a tweet earlier this month.

And she also spoke out against U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, the only Ohio Republican to vote to impeach Trump.