Seven candidates are running in the Republican primary for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District on May 3, 2022. Incumbent Rep. Tim Ryan (D) announced on April 26, 2021, that he was not seeking re-election and instead running for U.S. Senate.
Under the congressional district maps most recently approved during Ohio’s redistricting process, the 13th District—which race forecasters rated as Solid Democratic in 2020—will lean more Republican in 2022. According to FiveThirtyEight, the new 9th District had an R+2 lean, while the old district was even, meaning neither party had an advantage. These congressional district lines are currently subject to a state lawsuit. Learn more here.
As of March 2022, Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, Shay Hawkins, and Janet Folger Porter have received the most media coverage. Gilbert works as a small business owner, attorney, and television commentator. She also worked on Donald Trump’s (R) 2016 and 2020 election campaigns. A Gilbert campaign ad said, “Ohioans are fed up with the incompetence in Washington. Only Madison Gesiotto Gilbert can take on the woke mob.”
Hawkins works as president and chief executive officer of the Opportunity Funds Association and as an adjunct professor. He worked as a lead policy advisor for U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). In an interview with Cleveland.com, Hawkins said “I am in this race because I am the best candidate to represent this area who can hit the ground running with experience the first day,” and, “I think I’ve got a lot to offer Republicans across the spectrum.”
Porter works as the founder and president of Faith2Action. She also worked as the legislative director for Ohio Right to Life, where she advocated for anti-abortion legislation. In her campaign announcement video, she said: “I have more than 40 years of actions and results on issues of life and liberty and family. That is the distinguishing factor between me and everybody else in the race.”
Santana F. King, Dante Sabatucci, Ryan Saylor, and Gregory Wheeler are also running.
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