Rep Davidson Declines To Run In Crucial Ohio Senate Race

House Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH) has withdrawn himself from contention in the Ohio Republican primary which will decide who faces vulnerable Democrat incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024.

• Andrew Tobias at Cleveland.com reports that Davidson has made "serious preparations to run, including assembling a political staff," and likely would have entered the race, "with the support of the Club for Growth, making him a serious candidate."
• With Davidson out of the picture, the Republican primary is left with two confirmed candidates, Matt Dolan and Bernie Moreno, and Secretary of State Frank LaRose likely to enter the race.
• The Ohio Senate race is rated a "battleground" by Roll Call, with the state, which was won by Trump in 2020 by a +8 margin, trending red.
• NBC: "The contest has echoes of Ohio’s 2022 Senate race, in which the crowded Republican field descended into nastiness, name-calling and endless debates over who was most loyal to Trump."
• 538 writes: "...some major officeholders in Ohio are also eyeing this race... Frank LaRose, who could be the toughest opponent Brown has faced since first defeating Mike DeWine for this seat in 2006."