This will be a quick one, just so that we can get the speculation going! It seems that George Voinovich, 2-term U.S. Senator from the most competitive state in the union, is calling it quits after his term ends in 2010.
via Ambinder:
"After prayerful consideration and much thought, my wife Janet and I have decided that I will not seek a third term in the United States Senate," he writes on his Senate website. "Not since the Great Depression and the Second World War have we been confronted with such challenges, as a nation and as a world. Those of us that have been given the honor to serve in these times must step up to the plate and put this country on a course that will see it through these harrowing times and make it strong and viable for the 21st century. These next two years in office, for me, will be the most important years that I have served in my entire political career. I must devote my full time, energy and focus to the job I was elected to do, the job in front of me, which seeking a third term - with the money-raising and campaigning that it would require - would not allow me to do."
This is one of the three most winnable seats for Democrats in the upcoming cycle. Ohio Dems have been on a roll since Kerry's narrow loss in 2004, taking back the majority of statewide seats (including the Governorship and the Secretary of State's seat, a fact that helps explain Obama's victory) and electing progressive labor-friendly Dem Sherrod Brown the the U.S. Senate. This will immediately jump into the top tier of competitive seats for the 2010 cycle.
Ambinder notes that the contenders are already coming out of the woodwork on both sides.
I expect that Ex-Reps. Rob Portman and John Kasich will run for the Senate, although both of them are also interested in challenging Gov. Ted Strickland (D), so one might clear the way for the other.
A bunch of Democrats are going to take a look at the seat, including Reps. Zach Space, Betty Sutton and Tim Ryan. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, a former Ohio Attorney General, will probably run.
So, Ohio Kossacks (and anyone else) - who should we throw our weight behind in this hot primary? Which Republican would make the strongest opponent? We look forward to your thoughts in the comment section...
Update: It'll be interesting to see how this affects Voinovich's ideological priorities in the upcoming session. Coming from Ohio, he was always more economically conservative that many of the free-market radicals on his side of the aisle.
From Politico:
Always a bit of a free spirit, Voinovich symbolizes an old Midwest pro-labor wing of the Republican Party that has suffered in recent years as Democrats have gained in the region and the often anti-union Southern lawmakers have dominated the Republican caucus. This was seen most clearly in the recent Senate debate over helping the auto industry, and Voinovich was plainly frustrated by the opposition in his party to helping the United Auto Workers.
We just might have another Chuck Hagel on our hands, this time one willing to cross battle lines in order to stand up for economic fairness. We shall see.