South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) weighed in on the crowded GOP primary in the Ohio Senate race on Tuesday, Fox News first reported. Noem threw her support behind former Ohio GOP chairwoman Jane Timken, the only woman running for the Republican nomination.
Inbox:#OHSen candidate @JaneTimkenOH (R) “announced the endorsement today of South Dakota Governor @KristiNoem.”
— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) August 3, 2021
Notable get for Timken, the only woman running in the crowded #OHSEN field. https://t.co/5nULAVyfSd
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) August 3, 2021
"I am proud to endorse Jane Timken for the United States Senate. I saw firsthand Jane's leadership skills when she served as the first female Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party (ORP) and delivered the State of Ohio for President Trump by substantial margins in 2020," Noem told Fox News. "Jane is a trailblazer who fights to keep Ohio red and she has never backed down from a fight. I am confident that Jane Timken will be a leader with grit, perseverance, and integrity, exactly what is needed to fight for Ohio values in Washington, DC.”
After Noem’s announcement, Timken told Fox News that "as a fellow conservative woman, I am proud to have a fighter like Governor Noem in my corner.”
Timken is among a growing field of GOP contenders for the nomination, including businessmen Bernie Moreno and Mike Gibbons, former Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel, and J.D. Vance. The eventual nominee is likely to face Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) in the race to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), who is not running for reelection.