Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Local Man To Challenge Portman

cincinnati.com

A central Ohio conservative says he plans to challenge Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio in the primary next year. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.

Columbus-area resident Don Eckhart is hoping the third time is the charm. He’s run for public offices twice before as an independent but now, he intends to run, as a Republican, against U.S Senator Rob Portman in the primary. Eckhart says he wants to fight against big money politics and be a voice for traditional marriage in Ohio.
 
“I strongly support and continue to support the Ohio Constitution definition which is one man, one woman marriage,” Eckhart says.
 
Portman recently changed his stance on opposing gay marriage after learning his own son is gay.  Portman says he’s not concerned about having competition in the primary because Republicans are rallying around his campaign.
 
“We’ve not only won the Republican Central Committee endorsement by a 60-1 vote but we now have the support of every member of the congressional delegation, every statewide elected official and about 90% of the Statehouse,” Portman says.
 
Portman also has more money in his campaign war chest - about 8 million dollars at latest count. Eckhart says he has grassroots support and can win without money.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content