When will Josh Mandel win an Ohio Senate seat?

[BuckeyeNut]

Never. He's an absolutely awful candidate, especially for a state that tends to prefer Republicans in the mold of Kasich and Portman on the state level, rather than those in the mold of Jim Jordan.

That's changing. I am doubtful at this point he defeats Brown, but I could see him replacing Portman. The issue with the latter is Portman is probably going to run for re-elect in 2022, and by 2028, Mandel will hopefully have been out of politics for a decade.

 Unless he runs for some other statewide position in 2022.

[BuckeyeNut]

Mandel is a good candidate for Ohio, but I'm not sure Ohio is Republican enough to pull off a Republican gain in 2018. I'd expect it to swing towards him, though.

Hard to say when the next opportunity after 2018 will be, though. He does already have two statewide victories under his belt, but it would probably seem obsessive if he runs for this again in 2024 (on the other hand, John Neely Kennedy was elected to the Senate on his third attempt and second party; as was, amusingly enough, Bernie Sanders). I assume if he loses he'll run for a different statewide office in 2022.

Unless Democrats sweep the row offices, which they obviously won't, he's going to be in a tough fight to actually find something to get elected to in 2022. It's not like the current statewide Republicans like him.

[BuckeyeNut]

Like I said, keep hatin' haters! Same haters putting down Manly Mandel are also putting down Bombastic Bob (Menendez).

Both FF's will prove bad atlas wrong!

That you like Menendez explains a lot.

[BuckeyeNut]

Like I said, keep hatin' haters! Same haters putting down Manly Mandel are also putting down Bombastic Bob (Menendez).

Both FF's will prove bad atlas wrong!

That you like Menendez explains a lot.

As an Ohioan, what are your thoughts strategically and ideologically on the senate race in 2018? You probably know more than me and some other random dude about this race.

Sherrod keeps getting good press, while Mandel isn't particularly well liked by anyone in the current ORP infrastructure -- he keeps having low-level scandals, for which the very heavily Republican state legislature keeps taking him to task, and he even drew out an independently wealthy businessman as a primary challenger. (Though, he's not been in the news much.)

Sherrod plays better is more conservative counties than other Democrats, and runs very well put together campaigns, but nothing can be taken for granted. Trump was going to win Ohio regardless of whether or not he won the Presidency, and if Clinton was in office, Sherrod would be in deep, deep dog sh*t. As it is now, I expect him to win. Whether or not it'll be closer than 2012, IDK.