Ohio's 2022 GOP Senate candidates are already squabbling over who's more loyal to Trump


In one of the earliest showcases for what a post-Trump GOP statewide primary might look like over the next couple of years, Ohio Senate candidates Jane Timken and Josh Mandel are already squabbling over who's more loyal to former President Donald Trump.
Timken kicked things off Monday when she called on Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), one of the ten House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in January, to resign, arguing "President Trump is the leader of our party and we must have conservative leaders committed to the team."
Mandel, who has claimed to be Trump's "number one ally" in Ohio, followed that up with scathing criticism, accusing Timken of "flip-flopping" on Gonzalez. He cited Trump's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday which claimed "there is no room in the party for 'spineless establishment Republicans.'" Timken, Mandel said, "has proven herself just that," while he has consistently opposed Gonzalez's vote.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mandel's comments may be one last desperate shot at getting Trump's approval, however — The Washington Post reported Sunday that Trump has already told Timken he'll endorse her, though her camp has not confirmed the news. Either way, the back-and-forth seems to line up with an earlier prediction from The Bulwark's Tim Miller that GOP primaries won't represent a battle between pro- and anti-Trump candidates. Instead, it's a battle for the right to own the "Trump lane," plain and simple.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
AI workslop is muddying the American workplace
The explainer Using AI may create more work for others
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime minister
Speed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
The 5 best mob movies of all time
The Week Recommends If you don’t like a good gangster flick, just fuhgeddaboudit
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime minister
Speed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s plan
Speed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace plan
Speed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU party
Speed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian state
Speed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine