Democrat drops out of Ohio congressional race, endorses Republican
One of the two Democrats running in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District dropped out Tuesday and endorsed a Republican for the seat – instead of endorsing the other Democrat.
Loveland resident and Democratic candidate Joe Wessels and Republican congressional candidate Phil Heimlich, of Symmes Township, issued a joint press release to announce the move.
Wessels opted not to back the other Democrat in the race, Chillicothe resident Samantha Meadows. A few weeks earlier the Ohio Democratic Party endorsed Meadows over Wessels.
In the release, Wessels talked about the difficulty of winning the district as a Democrat. The 2nd Congressional District is one of the state’s most Republican, with Trump winning the district by a 3-to-1 margin in 2020.
"This district is the most red in Ohio, so it’s an uphill battle for any Democrat," Wessels said in the statement. "I’m supporting Phil Heimlich to protect our democracy and save our country. Full stop.”
Heimlich is a political veteran in the region who has served on Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. In recent years, he's become an outspoken anti-Trump Republican, launching a 2022 longshot primary campaign against Rep. Warren Davidson, an ardent Trump supporter, in the 8th Congressional District. Heimlich lost by 46 percentage points.
"Unlike my opponents, I value the peaceful transfer of power and prosecuting the insurrectionists who tried to overturn the 2020 election, as well as the political leaders who incited them to violence," Heimlich said in a statement.
Heimlich is one of 11 Republicans in the primary for the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Clermont County to the east of Cincinnati and stretches across 14 other counties in southern Ohio.
Rep. Brad Wesntrup, a Republican who lives in Hillsboro, has represented the district since 2013. He announced in November he would not seek reelection, citing a desire to spend more time with family.
The primary is March 19.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Democrat Joe Wessels endorses Republican Phil Heimlich. Here's why
