By Michele Newbanks
May 15, 2021
https://www.mariettatimes.com/news/local-news/2021/05/timken-plans-run-for-portman-senate-seat/
The annual Lincoln Day Dinner brought Republicans from around the state to the Marietta Shrine Club.
Jane Timken, 54, of Canton, is running for the U.S. Senate seat which will be vacated by Republican Sen. Rob Portman, who decided in January not to run for re-election.
She resigned her position as chair of the Ohio Republican Party in February in order to run for the Senate.
¯ ¯ ¯
Question: What made you decide to run for the U.S. Senate?
Timken: I’m not the kind of person that can sit on the sidelines. When I see a problem, I want to stand up and solve it. I felt the call to get more involved in 2016 when the Kasich-backed Ohio Republican Party turned their back on President Trump and Republican values, so I ran for Party Chair as a conservative disrupter to fix their mess.
With President Trump’s endorsement, I won, cleaned house, unified the Party, and delivered conservative victories up and down the ballot in 2018 and 2020, culminating with an 8-point win for President Trump in Ohio.
When Senator Portman announced his retirement, I knew I once again could not sit on the sidelines. In just 100 days, Joe Biden and his socialist allies have stripped back the incredible progress we saw under President Trump by putting America last, not America First. Ohioans want to see secure borders, low taxes, tough-on-China policies, and a booming economy, and I will go to Washington to fight for a return to these America First policies that worked for Ohio.
¯ ¯ ¯
Q: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges Ohioans face today?
T: As I travel across Ohio, the biggest complaint I hear from small businesses to large businesses across the spectrum is that they can’t find enough people to work. We must get our economy back on track and focus on ensuring we have the skilled workforce needed to fill jobs available.
That means lifting all COVID-era restrictions that are stunting our economic recovery, ensuring oureschools are competitive by advocating for skilled trades and business development, and prioritizing an Ohio workforce through strong border policies that protect against illegal immigration.
¯ ¯ ¯
Q: What were some of the biggest accomplishments for the Ohio Republican Party during your tenure as chairwoman?
T: As Ohio Republican Party chair, I crisscrossed Ohio, putting 150,000 miles on two cars fighting to elect conservative warriors up and down the ballot. Under my leadership, we retained our Congressional seats, swept our statewide executive offices, and elected conservatives in key local races that have made huge differences in Ohioans’ lives all across the state.
Importantly, I proudly served as President Trump’s number 1 champion in Ohio and helped deliver our state for President Trump by over eight points in 2020.
On a personal level, I am also very proud to be the first female chair of the Ohio Republican Party. I have always encouraged more women to get involved in public service as we have an important voice that should be at the table. If elected, I would be even prouder to serve as Ohio’s first female Senator.
¯ ¯ ¯
Q: What do you hope to accomplish if you are voted into the U.S. Senate?
T: I am deeply concerned about Joe Biden and Democrats’ irresponsible spending proposals that are costing our economy trillions and hiking taxes across the board. I’m a fiscal conservative and believe that when we spend hard-working taxpayer dollars, it should be targeted – not $6 trillion in a liberal wish list.
I am a strong proponent of tax cuts and will fight to return to the historic Trump-era tax cuts that stimulated our economy and created thousands of jobs. I have already signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, pledging to oppose tax increases once elected, and will fight to get government out of the way and out of our pocketbooks.
As a mom, education and the well-being of our children are also a top priority of mine. I am a strong advocate for school choice and believe that we must expand educational opportunities for our children. No child should ever be confined by the constraints of their zip code. I will also fight to put an end full-stop to the lefts’ radical education agenda known as Critical Race Theory that is seeking to indoctrinate our children and polarize our communities. While we of course should teach empathy and the facts of history, I believe moms, dads and teachers know what is best for our kids in the classroom – not partisan propagandists in Washington pushing a political agenda. I have launched a listening tour across Ohio on this important subject and will take parents’ concerns with me to Washington.
¯ ¯ ¯
Q: In your campaign video, you talk about threats to freedoms. Can you explain what those threats are?
T: The socialist left is threatening our freedoms every day. Democrats are trying to pack the Supreme Court, end the filibuster, federalize our elections, pass the so-called Equality Act that puts boys in girls’ sports, and transform our country as we know it.
They want to strip away our fundamental right to life, right to bear arms, and right to worship. They have flung open our nation’s borders, want to grant amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants, and have turned their back on law enforcement and our military. I believe America is the greatest country in the world and deserves to be protected.
I believe our rights are not government-given, but God-given. I will always stand up for our Constitution, protect American freedoms, and ensure that America never becomes a socialist country.
¯ ¯ ¯
Q: You stood by former President Donald Trump with his America First agenda. Why is this agenda important?
T: There’s only one U.S. Senate candidate in this race who has consistently and reliably been an unwavering fighter for Donald Trump and the America First agenda over the last five years, and that is me.
President Trump put Ohio manufacturers first, he put Ohio farmers first, he put Ohio small businesses first, and his policies were working. But now, Biden and his Democrat allies are targeting Ohio workers by hiking taxes, rolling back tough-on-China policies, and waging a war on American energy and fossil fuels.
Ohio needs a Senator that will stand up against these radical policies and fight for a return of the America First agenda because that is what was working for Ohio.
¯ ¯ ¯
Q: When Ohioans go to the polls, why should they cast their vote for you?
T: Ohioans need someone who’s going to be a fighter for their families, their freedoms, and their jobs. I’ve always been that fighter, and I will loudly and proudly stand up for Ohioans because I love this state and I love this country. I would be honored if you join me in my race. You can learn more at JaneTimkenForOhio.com.