Republican Rep. Warren Davidson passes on 2024 Ohio Senate run

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) on Tuesday announced he will not run for the Senate in 2024 and instead will seek reelection to his House seat, narrowing the potential field to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) next year. 

Davidson, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, revealed his decision in a note to supporters, saying a Senate bid would keep him from carrying out his work in the lower chamber effectively. He added he was “truly tempted” to run for the Senate.

“Running for Senate would effectively take me out of the fight in the House for 1.5 years to spend the vast majority of my time raising money,” Davidson said. “Although time spent with constituents in Ohio is the truest joy of the work, a very narrow majority in the House of Representatives means my vote will be essential on any bill that breaks on party lines — important issues.”

“I am confident that Ohio’s voters are onto Sherrod Brown and will send him home. I shall always wonder if it would have been me, but it won’t,” Davidson continued. “Instead, I will continue to defend freedom from Ohio’s 8th District and seek re-election in 2024.”

Davidson has served in the House since 2016, when he won a special election to replace former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in the suburban Cincinnati district. 

His decision winnows Ohio’s potential GOP nomination field even further. State Sen. Matt Dolan, who lost the 2022 primary to now-Sen. JD Vance, and businessman Bernie Moreno have both announced bids, while Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is expected to join the crowd next month. 

Brown is seeking a fourth term in the Senate and is among the three Senate Democrats most targeted by Republicans in 2024, alongside Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).