Portman reflects on Ohio’s election

White House budget director Rob Portman was heavily invested in Ohio’s elections. The former congressman, who still lives in Terrace Park, was in Greater Cincinnati this past weekend actively campaigning for area House members and Sen. Mike DeWine.

Portman headlined a GOP rally in Deer Park on Saturday morning, visited a Blue Ash call center, ate lunch with GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell at Price Hill Chili, then went door to door for Rep. Steve Chabot in Reading.

On Monday, Portman held media events with DeWine in Cincinnati and Rep. Geoff Davis in Northern Kentucky over new economy numbers.

In the end, Chabot, Davis and (probably) Rep. Jean Schmidt were safe. Why?

“It was a tough climate this year in Ohio,” Portman said today. “But I think Congressmen Steve Chabot, Jean Schmidt, Geoff Davis were able to separate themselves from the larger concerns about ethics and Iraq and about other issues.”

But why were they successful when DeWine wasn’t?

“I don’t know how to explain the difference,” Portman admitted.

Is it further proof that all politics is local?

“To some extent,” Portman said. “People know Steve, so it was local in some sense, almost personal. Rather than the national issues being the determining factor, it was about those particular candidates.”

Look for more about Portman in an upcoming edition of The Enquirer.