Ex-Ohio Republican chair Jane Timken announces Senate run

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Former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken on Thursday announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate in the state in 2022, calling herself a "conservative disruptor" who will advance former President Trump’s "America First" agenda for Ohio workers and families.

"I’m a mom and a fighter – who won’t stand back and let America become a socialist country," Timken told Fox News.

Timken, who served as the chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021, said she changed the party after former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich and 2016 presidential hopeful "transformed" it into a "corrupt, anti-Trump mess."

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"With the support of President Trump, I cleaned house," she said. "I completely transformed and united the party into a well-oiled, pro-Trump machine that won conservative victories and advanced an America First agenda at every level – and that delivered a second victory for President Trump in our state."

Chairperson Jane Timken of Ohio Republican Party speaks at President Trump's Make America Great Again Rally on July 25, 2017 in Youngstown, OH. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Timken slammed President Biden, saying that in "less than 30 days" his administration is "sliding us backward."

"I simply can’t sit on the sidelines and watch Biden and the socialist left do this to our country, to Ohio workers, to our children – so I’m stepping forward to be a conservative disruptor once again, and running for the U.S. Senate to fight for the Trump agenda, stop socialism dead in its tracks and be a champion for all Ohioans," she said.

Timken added: "I plan to go to D.C. to fight back."

Timken touted Trump’s presidency and agenda, saying that his "America First vision worked for America."

"Those policies were working for this country and for Ohioans," she said, adding that "no one has worked harder for Trump and his agenda than me."

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Timken told Fox News that "one thing people should know" about her is that she is "a hard worker" and that she will "fight for this U.S. Senate race, work hard, address issues, solve problems and get things done."

"I need to win this Senate race. I plan on winning it. I plan on fighting for this," she said, adding that there is "a lot of work to do, but I have never backed down from hard work – I have a can-do attitude."

Timken added: "I am a fighter. I want to fight for our freedoms. It is so important that we continue the America First agenda. I plan on fighting for that in the U.S. Senate. I plan on always fighting for Ohio."

Timken is running for the seat currently held by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who announced last month that he would not run for reelection in 2022. 

The Senate is split 50-50 between the two parties, but the Democrats hold a razor-thin majority due to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. That means Republicans only have to flip one seat in 2022 to regain the majority they lost in the 2020 elections.

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But the GOP is defending 20 of the 34 seats up for grabs in the next midterm elections.

The difficult map isn’t the only obstacle facing the Republicans. They’re also defending open seats in two crucial battleground states due to retirements. Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Burr of North Carolina are not running for reelection. With Portman’s announcement, add battleground Ohio to the list of states with a GOP-controlled open Senate seat.

There’s also a potential headache in Iowa, where 87-year-old GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley is staying mum so far on whether he’ll run for an eighth six-year term. And in the battleground state of Wisconsin, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson hasn’t said if he’ll run for a third term.

Her announcement comes a week after Republican Josh Mandel, a former Ohio state treasurer and Marine veteran who served in the Iraq war, became the first major candidate to jump into in the Buckeye State's 2022 Senate race.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser, Mike Emanuel and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.