What do the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Crain’s Cleveland Business, Akron Beacon Journal, Youngstown Vindicator, Martin’s Ferry Times Leader, Highland County Press, Findlay Courier, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer have in common?
All nine of these publications have endorsed Rob Portman’s U.S. Senate bid.
In fact, several of these papers have previously endorsed Retread Ted
Strickland in his earlier runs for office.
In case you missed it:
Columbus Dispatch: “Portman, a Republican seeking his second term, has established an impressive track record, having gotten 45 bills signed into law. Of particular note is his leadership in combatting human trafficking and opioid addiction. He uncovered the failure of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fully vet people given custody of immigrant children, some of whom ended up as slave laborers for Ohio egg farms. He has led congressional action against Backpage.com, obtaining an order from the U.S. Supreme Court for documents that will allow prosecutors throughout the country to go after these modern-day slavers. And as the scourge of opioid addiction hit Ohio particularly hard, Portman got his Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act signed into law. It authorizes $181 million in additional spending for community programs effective at prevention, treatment and recovery for a disease that Portman notes “has no zip code.” Portman has also been instrumental in bringing federal dollars to central Ohio and in cutting through bureaucracy for crucial projects such as Columbus’ futuristic Smart Cities technology and transportation grant and the renovation of the Downtown Scioto Mile riverfront.”
Cincinnati Enquirer: “…[I]n his first term as senator, Portman has been a hard-working public servant, often reaching across the aisle for the good of his Greater Cincinnati constituents and the country as a whole. He was the chief author of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act – a bill that received bipartisan support and authorizes $181 million in new federal money to address opioid and heroin abuse. He also has taken on the issue of human trafficking, fought for a level playing field for local steel companies on trade and advocated for federal support of The Banks and Smale Riverfront Park. Portman helped get more than $50 million in federal funding for engineering and environmental impact studies for the replacement of the Brent Spence Bridge and authored an amendment to the transportation appropriations bill that ensures functionally obsolete bridges such as it will get priority consideration for federal money…Rob Portman has earned your vote and a return trip to the Capitol.”
Crain’s Cleveland Business: “Portman’s intelligence, steadiness and dedication to working hard on issues of importance to Ohioans — most notably on the heroin epidemic and the protection of Lake Erie — are why we believe he deserves another term in the U.S. Senate. In this odd political year, one of the more striking spectacles has been the support that some labor unions, including the Teamsters, Mine Workers and International Union of Operating Engineers, have directed to Portman after backing Strickland in previous races…But it’s also a reflection of a belief that Portman, in polarized political times, is a pragmatist who can work with Democrats, as he has with Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri on measures related to detecting, reporting and addressing opioid abuse. Portman wrote the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act aimed at combating opioid abuse, which has struck hard at Ohio and other industrial Midwestern states.”
Akron Beacon Journal: “In seeking a second term, Portman has run a smart tactical race. He has taken the lead in the congressional response to the heroin epidemic, a stance that appeals across party lines. He has highlighted the enforcement of trade agreements and won surprising union support, driven, in part, by his work to protect pensions. All of this, and his working across the aisle on such things as energy efficiency, point to the potential of the prepared, diligent and thoughtful Portman to play an expanded leadership role in the Senate.”
Youngstown Vindicator: “Portman, as a member of the majority in the Senate, has proved to be an important ally in Washington for the Valley. He has worked closely with U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, and Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, and also with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to ensure the Lordstown assembly plant’s viability and assist area steel mills in their battles against dumping of products by foreign manufacturers. But it is Portman’s commitment to the continued stability and growth of the Air Force Reserve Station that leads us to the conclusion that a second term is warranted…That’s where Portman, as a member of the majority in the Senate, can play an important role. Even if Democrats take control next year, the senator, along with Brown, would be in a position to persuade his Republican colleagues to vote in favor of providing more funding for the base. With so much hanging in the balance in the Mahoning Valley, The Vindicator endorses Portman for another term.”
Findlay Courier: "Portman has represented Ohio well in the Senate and has shown the ability to work with both Republicans and Democrats, including Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown. Close to home, Portman has kept abreast of Hancock County’s ongoing flood-control project, and has pledged support for it. His continued involvement will remain important even with the Army Corps of Engineers’ reduced role. Portman has also helped to address Ohio’s heroin/opioid epidemic on the federal level. He took a strong role as one of the sponsors of the Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act, which was signed into law this summer. It will help save lives by expanding access to education, treatment, and recovery programs that have proven to work, along with giving law enforcement additional tools to combat overdoses."
Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Portman, from the Cincinnati area, worked hard to protect Lake Erie, reached across the aisle to pass a comprehensive heroin recovery bill, teamed up with fellow Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, on job creation and retention efforts and has been vigilant about the interests of Northeast Ohio employers…Portman, 60, is both thoughtful and extraordinarily effective – preparing intensively, and arguing persuasively for the issues he tackles. He’s also worked hard to earn the trust and approval of voters throughout the state…On every level, Portman is by far the superior candidate in this race — smart and engaged on the issues that matter to Ohioans, including working people.”
Martin’s Ferry Times Leader: “Since 2011, Rob Portman has represented the Buckeye State in the U.S. Senate. We believe he has done an admirable job and that Ohioans should send him back to Washington, D.C., for a second term…He built a strong record as a “commonsense conservative” who puts principles before politics…”
Highland County Press: “It should come as no surprise to our readers that we are endorsing U.S. Sen. Rob Portman for re-election…”