Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing for U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nominee Alejandro Mayorkas in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. Mayorkas, a former head of Citizenship and Immigration Services, would become the first Latino and immigrant to lead an agency that has played a central role in Donald Trump’s widely criticized border crackdown. Photographer: Joshua Roberts/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio will not run for reelection in 2022, pointing in part to the difficulty of governing in a polarized Congress.
His decision announced Monday opens up a Senate seat in a traditionally competitive state that has tilted more toward Republicans in recent years.
“I don’t think any Senate office has been more successful in getting things done, but honestly, it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision,” Portman said in a statement. “We live in an increasingly polarized country where members of both parties are being pushed further to the right and further to the left, and that means too few people who are actively looking to find common ground.”
The senator said he will try to work with President Joe Biden on issues including coronavirus relief during the remainder of his term.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
