Will Ohio Senator Rob Portman now vote to convict Trump?

Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman has announced he will retire at the end of his term in 2022, opening up a world of possibility among several different political camps.

First, Senate Democrats will try to recruit Mr Portman, a well-liked moderate in bipartisan Senate circles, to join them in convicting Donald Trump at his impeachment trial for inciting an insurrection at the Capitol on 6 January.

The Democrats need at least 17 Republicans to vote with them to reach a two-thirds majority and convict Mr Trump, barring him from ever holding federal office again.

Mr Portman’s retirement also throws the 2022 Ohio Senate race into flux as Republican voters confront a crossroads: Will they turn for good down the populist, anti-institutional trail blazed by Donald Trump over the last half decade, or remain on the old-school conservative route paved by Mr Portman and other establishment figures more aligned with the traditional GOP?

And finally, some prominent Democrats in the Buckeye State will be keen to seize the moment in 2022 now that the party’s candidate won’t be facing a well-established Republican with all the advantages of incumbency.

Mr Portman — who served in the House for 12 years and worked under President George W Bush as a trade representative before coming to the Senate in 2010 — lamented the fierce polarisation that has gripped Washington over the last several years.

“I don’t think any Senate office has been more successful in getting things done, but honestly, it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision,” Mr Portman said in a statement on Monday.

“This is a tough time to be in public service. For many of the issues I am most passionate about, I will continue to make a difference outside of the Senate, beyond 2022,” he said.

“In the meantime, I am hopeful that President [Joe] Biden will follow through on his inaugural pledge to reach across the aisle, and I am prepared to work with him and his administration if he does,” Mr Portman said.