GAHANNA, Ohio — Five of Republican candidates for Ohio’s soon-to-be open Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Rob Portman worked to convince voters why Ohioans should elect them.
What You Need To Know
- Five Republicans participated in a forum ahead of the Ohio primary election May 3
- Topics included Russia, China, big tech, Critical Race Theory, Former President Donald Trump and the human trafficking and opioid epidemics
- Jane Timken, JD Vance, Josh Mandel, Mike Gibbons and Matt Dolan participated
The candidates participated in a forum Friday in Gahanna organized by the nonprofit organization Freedom Works.
Republicans Jane Timken, JD Vance, Josh Mandel, Mike Gibbons and Matt Dolan spoke to a crowd of more than 100, tackling topics asked by moderator Brandon Boxer of 610 WTVN.
The candidates tackled topics, including Russia, China, big tech, Critical Race Theory, Former President Donald Trump and the human trafficking and opioid epidemics.
The two-hour forum featured a heated exchange between candidates Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons, with Boxer having to separate the two on stage. The fight stemmed from Mandel accusing Gibbons of owning stock in Chinese petroleum companies.
UPDATE: While answering the first question, Mandel goes after Gibbons investing in Chinese stocks. It resulted in a heated exchange with the moderator having to separate the two. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/OmSStQu4CI
— Olivia Wile (@o_wile) March 18, 2022
“You may not understand this because you’ve never been in the private sector,” Gibbons said to Mandel.
“Two tours in Iraq, don’t tell me I haven’t worked,” Mandel fired back.
Another highlight involved JD Vance addressing his own attack ads accusing him of being an “anti-Trump” candidate.
“There are ads saying I’m a ‘never Trumper,’ which is news to me,” said Vance. “The first time I ever got a death threat was when I went on TV to defend the president’s Supreme Court nomination.”
All of the candidates touted their loyalty to former President Trump except Matt Dolan, who, while he didn’t speak against Trump, never praised him outside of being questioned about him.
“When he was in office, Ohio was doing pretty well, wasn’t it? So why don’t we send someone to Washington like me who has not just sat there and praised Donald Trump, he’s executed on Donald Trump’s policies right here in Ohio,” said Dolan.
Jane Timken, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, started many of her answers out talking about being a mom. Unlike Dolan, she also did pledge her loyalty to Trump.
“I was in the trenches fighting with President Trump,” said Timken.
Despite turmoil involving the redistricting of Ohio’s legislative and congressional maps, Ohio’s primary still is scheduled for May 3.
