2nd Congressional District: Who is the anti-Trump Republican? Who has the edge?
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Voters Tuesday will choose one of the 11 Republicans they want to succeed Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who after 10 years in Congress will retire to spend more time with family.
Primary will likely determine the next Congress member
The winner of the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District east of Cincinnati will be the heavy favorite to win in November. Donald Trump won the heavily Republican district it in 2020 by a 3-to-1 margin, the largest margin of Ohio's 15 congressional districts.
You've seen the ads
As a result, most of the candidates have sung the praises of Trump and worked to distinguish themselves among a herd of Trump-loving candidates. Some have resorted to over-the-top ads. One candidate wields a flamethrower. Another gets behind a bulldozer saying "he knows a thing or two about building walls." Then you have a candidate and former Marine drill instructor running a "congressional boot camp" yelling at suit-clad politicians, "I've seen Biden move faster!"
Phil Heimlich is the anti-Trump Republican
One notable exception is Phil Heimlich, a former Cincinnati City councilman and Hamilton County commissioner, who has run as an anti-Trump Republican in recent years. Heimlich won the endorsement of former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican critical of Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and one of 10 Republicans in the U.S. House who voted to impeach Trump.
Who has the advantage?
The race could come down to geography. Clermont County accounts for 27% of the district's population, by far the largest county of the 16 counties in the 2nd Congressional District. That means Clermont County voters could decide the next member of Congress.
The Clermont County Republican Party endorsed Amelia resident, assistant prosecutor and concrete company owner David Taylor.
County parties throughout the district endorsed the candidates they knew. The Highland County GOP endorsed resident state Sen. Shane Wilkin. The Brown County Republican nod went to former Marine drill instructor and Brown County resident Tim O'Hara. The Scioto County GOP went for Larry Kidd, who lives in the adjacent Jackson County.
What happens in November?
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Samantha Meadows in November. Meadows ran two years ago against Wenstrup and lost by 49 percentage points.
About the district
The district covers 16 counties in southern Ohio, with Clermont County on the western edge of the district.
The district includes suburban counties outside Cincinnati and Columbus, but the more rural sections include some of the Ohio counties with the highest unemployment rates and poverty rates.
The median household income is about $61,600 and only 21% have a college degree or higher, both below the statewide averages.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Republican primary: Who is running for Congress in Ohio 2?
