GEORGE VOINOVICH TO RETIRE: Ohio's GOP Senator Is Popular Politician

WASHINGTON — Ohio Sen. George Voinovich has told associates he intends to retire next year rather than seek a new term, party officials said Sunday night. He is the fourth Republican to make departure plans since the Democratic landslide in November.

The officials said Voinovich intended to make a formal announcement on Monday.

They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss Voinovich's plans.

Voinovich spokesman Chris Paulitz on Sunday wouldn't confirm the decision. But he said a statement would be released Monday morning, and Voinovich would hold a press conference Monday afternoon.

Voinovich, 72, is one of the most popular Republican politicians in recent history in Ohio, and served as mayor of Cleveland and a two-term governor before his election to the Senate in 1998. He was considered a strong favorite for re-election if he had chosen to seek a third term in 2010.

Now, Democrats are likely to invest heavily in trying to win the seat.

In recent weeks, Sens. Kit Bond of Missouri, Mel Martinez of Florida and Sam Brownback of Kansas have all announced plans to retire in 2010. Missouri and Florida often host competitive Senate races when no incumbent is on the ballot. Kansas is more reliably Republican, although Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is a potentially strong challenger for the seat.

One Republican official said Rob Portman, a former Cabinet official in the Bush administration, is likely to seek Voinovich's seat. Portman was President George W. Bush's budget director and United States trade representative after stepping down from the House to join the administration.

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Potential Democratic candidates include Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Reps. Tim Ryan and Zack Space.

"If the news of Senator Voinovich's retirement is true, it would represent a real loss for the people of the Buckeye State," Space said in a statement Sunday night. "His moderate and independent voice will be missed."

Voinovich's re-election would have required him to raise millions of dollars over the next two years. His staff recently insisted that his fundraising has gone well, and that the senator has roughly $3 million already in the bank.

The November elections plunged Republicans deep into the Senate minority.

Democrats currently hold a 57-41 majority in the Senate with two vacancies. In Illinois, Democrat Roland Burris appears on track to take the place of President-elect Barack Obama, despite controversy over his appointment by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces criminal charges.

In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken holds a thin lead over former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman after a statewide recount. Coleman has filed a lawsuit challenging the results.

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Associated Press writer Stephen Majors in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Comments

[BLinCincinnati]

I hope Dennis Kucinich runs for the seat.

[ohioan73]

Good riddance. Voinovich is lame anyway. The only thing I know about him is he voted with Bush more than John McCain and his political fate was determined when his daughter died many years ago. Kucinich held back from attacking him during the campaign because of Voinovich's daughter's death and Voinovich ended up winning somehow. I believe if Molly Voinovich had never died, Ohio would be a lot better off today. I was very young when this happened so I may see it differently than other Ohioans.

[jsgaetano]

I guess a life proudly lived on the wrong side of history can really turn into a bummer when it's obvious your chances of obstructing progress never succeeded, and have very little chance of ever doing so.

History will look back at the disolving of the GOP... and note it as an extremely positive thing.

[amyers]

Martinez, Bond, and now Voinovich: three Republican senators from swing states who will not be running for re-election in 2010, no doubt because they see the odds of victory stacked against them. The question is, were they more afraid of losing to a Democrat next November for being seen as obstructing Obama's agenda, or being out-primaried by a Republican wingnut for being seen as not obstructing enough? And does this mean that Grassley and/or Specter will be far behind in leaving Washington?

[T2H3C]

Anyone who says that Voinovich occasionally clashed with the Bush administration is clearly not paying any attention. Voinovich has mad a career the last eight years of publicly decrying Bush on unpopular positions and then turning around and voting with Bush every time. As an Ohio resident, I could not be happier to hear Voinovich is retiring. He was a terrible Governor and has been a terrible Senator.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Maybe he could just change his first name ...

[deke4]

At least Voinovich in a few instances bucked the Bush administration. But Kit Bond, then and now refuses to admit this administration made any mistakes. Bond should be from New Hampshire, he has a head made of granite.

[AsISaid]

What Voinovich said and what he did are polar opposites. He was in lock-step with Bush on 99.9% of issues.

[MajorKong]

Buh bye!

[texasweed]

There is still time for him to help the rest of the country in rebuilding America.

[AsISaid]

Yeah, step down now.....

[hortonhearsawho2]

Dropping like flys these days....

[USBrit]

I spent about 15 years in Ohio as it melted down and even graduated from two colleges/u­niversitie­s there and after graduation decided that Ohio was a complete mental case on its way to self destruction. I'm very glad I did not waste anymore time there riding into economic oblivion with them. As several have said they voted for what they got and they well deserve what they now have, one of the worst economies going other than Michigan. They never recovered from the recession of the 1980s and despite clear evidence they were getting no benefit from it proceeded to be true believers in Reagonomics. Oh well.

[tbrnotb]

Moderate to the point of being irrelevent. Bye-bye, George. You saved Cleveland (for what I don't know), but the best you offered the state that needed real help and leadership was indifference. Sherrod Brown has been a better representative of the state in 2 years than you ever were.

Another rubber-stamp republican. We had great hopes for you, but you just seemed to disappear. But considering the voters of Ohio voted against their interests so often (before 2008) I guess ya gave what they wanted.....or maybe what they deserved.

[Max01]

After watching Ohio's economy go down the drain, one has to judge the actions of those who were at the helm of the good ship Lollipop. Voinovich has done NOTHING for the good working folks of Ohio and even less for America. At least, Mike Dewine, the old Senator, had the decency to acknowledge that jobs were scarce and that we shouldn't have wasted lives in Iraq; he was the true moderate.

Ohio is fortunate to have one good Senator at this time, Sherrod Brown, who is attempting to help the less fortunate and raise the standard of living for his state. Any of the potential candidates would be a welcome change from Voinovich...except for Rob Portman(R) and Zach Space (DINO).

[AsISaid]

Ohio Republicans are going with new faces in 2010. Voinovich was a proven vote getter - especially splitting Democrat votes in Cuyahoga County. But after Taft (disgraced Governor) and the bozo Ken Blackwell, the Ohio GOP is putting its stock in demagogues like John Kasich and Bushman Rob Portman. Advice to Dems: stay away from Lee Fisher and Zack Space. Go with Ohio SoS Jennifer Brunner - highly intelligent and tough as nails.

[Jaybot]

Let me pause and shed a little tear.