State Sen. Niraj Antani launches bid for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District

A Republican state senator wants to trade the halls of the Ohio Statehouse for Congress.

State Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg, announced Tuesday that he's running for the newly open 2nd Congressional District. Longtime U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup said he'll retire at the end of this term, setting up what could be a crowded fight for the predominately Republican district.

More: Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup to retire from Congress at end of term

"We need somebody who is steel-spined to stand up to Democrats in Washington, and I will do that," Antani said in an interview. "It is time to get rid of wishy-washy RINOs. It is time to get rid of people who kowtow to Joe Biden and the Democrats."

Antani was first elected to represent his Dayton-area Senate district in 2020 after serving six years in the Ohio House. He is currently Ohio's youngest senator and the first Indian-American to serve in the Senate. Antani's district became more favorable to Democrats in the latest round of redistricting, but he said that didn't drive his decision to run for Congress.

As state senator, Antani helped spearhead legislation to legalize sports betting and advocated for college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness. Most recently, he introduced a bill to ban ballot drop boxes. Ohio's new election law allows counties to install one drop box at the board of elections and requires them to be monitored by video surveillance.

If elected to Congress, Antani said he wants to rein in government spending and cut taxes. He supports efforts to aid Israel in its war against Hamas, saying both the United States and Israel are under attack by "Islamic Jihadist terrorists." At the same time, he believes the U.S. should stop sending money to Ukraine in its war against Russia and provide only advice and intelligence.

Antani also signaled that he would support a federal abortion ban. In Columbus, he voted for Ohio's ban on most abortions after six weeks and co-sponsored several other bills restricting abortion, including a law that requires doctors to care for infants who are "born alive" after the procedure.

Antani said he would prefer federal policy acknowledging life begins at conception, but: “Certainly a 15-week ban is better than what we have now.”

As of now, Antani doesn't live in the 2nd Congressional District; he said he's about 17 miles outside of it. He plans to move if elected, but he also noted that he's a native of southern Ohio − which is largely where the 2nd District sits.

Members of Congress are not required to live in their districts.

“Nobody wants to play ZIP code politics," Antani said. "What they want to know is whether somebody is going to stand strong for their values."

Who else is running?

Wenstrup announced his retirement just over a month before the December filing deadline, meaning interested candidates need to move fast.

And Antani won't be alone. Clermont County GOP chairman Charles Tassell told a Cincinnati radio host on Monday that he's running. Danny Bubp, a former state representative and retired judge, is also mulling a congressional bid.

A Republican primary could effectively decide the election, as Democrats stand little chance of flipping that seat. The 2nd Congressional District favors Republicans 69% to 29%, according to Dave's Redistricting, making it the reddest congressional district in the state.

The 2nd Congressional District includes Clermont, Clinton and Brown counties as well as 12 other counties in southern Ohio.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Niraj Antani launches bid for Ohio 2nd Congressional District