Timken releases ad touting ties to Trump in Ohio Senate primary

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Jane Timken on Friday released a new statewide ad touting her ties to former President Trump and his policies.

The ad, titled “America First,” calls Timken a “Trump conservative” who “wiped out the Kasich establishment,” referring to Trump critic and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R). The 30-second spot also touts Timken’s conservative stances on the Second Amendment, immigration, parents’ rights, and the economy. The ad is a part of a previous six-figure media buy. 

Timken is one of a number of candidates running the Republican Senate primary, which has become largely defined by their efforts to tie themselves to the former president. The field includes Timken, businessman Bernie Moreno, former Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel, author and venture capitalist J. D. Vance, investment banker Mike Gibbons and state Sen. Matt Dolan.

The primary is set for May 3 and the campaigns have released a slew of ads that have garnered some national attention. Late last month, Gibbons rolled out a $500,000 statewide advertising buy targeting Vance, which invokes the anti-Trump stances the author took during the 2016 presidential election. 

The conservative group, the Club for Growth, which is supporting Mandel, has also targeted Vance over his past anti-Trump remarks, including in a $1 million television ad buy. Politico reported last month that Trump, himself, called the group’s president to complain about the ads in the state, which he won in the 2016 and 2020 elections. 

Trump has not made an endorsement in the primary. 

There has not been much public polling yet in the primary, but Mandel appears to be the early frontrunner. Timken’s campaign has touted a recent internal poll that shows her polling four points behind Mandel.