Club for Growth favorite Warren Davidson passes on run for Senate in Ohio

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), a favorite of the Club for Growth, has decided not to run for Senate in Ohio in what is expected to be a costly and bruising primary next year.

Davidson, who replaced former Speaker John Boehner in the House in 2016, would have entered a field of wealthy Republicans. The conservative Club for Growth itself has deep pockets — it has had no qualms spending upward of 10 figures in recent Senate races — but the congressman ultimately decided to pass on a run, telling supporters in a Tuesday email that his energies were better spent in the House.

ALL EYES ON SWING VOTE MASSIE AS HOUSE PANEL TAKES UP DEBT CEILING BILL

“Running for Senate would effectively take me out of the fight in the House for 1.5 years to spend the vast majority of my time raising money,” he said. “Although time spent with constituents in Ohio is the truest joy of the work, a very narrow majority in the House of Representatives means my vote will be essential on any bill that breaks on party lines — important issues.”

Davidson, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, voiced confidence that the Republicans would finally defeat Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a three-term Democrat who is facing his toughest reelection bid yet in 2024, but he lamented it would not be him leading that charge.

Davidson will instead run for reelection to the House, the congressman announced, where he represents Ohio’s 8th Congressional District.

“I shall always wonder if it would have been me, but it won’t,” he said.

Had he decided to run, Davidson would have faced a clash between two Republicans who failed to win the race for Ohio’s other Senate seat in 2022.

State Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, and businessman Bernie Moreno partially self-financed their campaigns in that cycle, only for Republican J.D. Vance to win the nomination and ultimately the seat. Both have announced another run in 2024.

A third candidate, Frank LaRose, is expected to launch his own bid next month and will lean on the super PAC Leadership for Ohio Fund to help buoy his candidacy. He has already shown he can perform statewide, winning a second term as Ohio’s secretary of state in November.

Ohio, along with West Virginia and Montana, is one of three states national Republicans view as their best pickup opportunities in 2024.

Once considered a purple state, Ohio has trended red in recent election cycles. Former President Donald Trump won there by 8 percentage points in 2020.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The National Republican Senatorial Committee does not have a preference on who wins the primary there and has so far not interfered in the race. But an endorsement by Trump could prove pivotal.

The former president has not offered an outright endorsement to Moreno but encouraged him to run.