Rob Portman

Robert Jones Portman (born December 19, 1955) is an American politician, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Ohio. A Republican, Portman previously served as a U.S. Representative, the 14th United States Trade Representative, and the 35th Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Portman graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan Law School. Portman spent a decade as an associate for law firms in Washington D.C. and Ohio before becoming an associate White House Counsel under President George H.W. Bush. In 1993, he won a special election to represent Ohio's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He was reelected 6 times before resigning upon his appointment by President George W. Bush to become the U.S. Trade Representative in May 2005. As Trade Representative, Portman initiated trade agreements with other countries, and pursued claims at the World Trade Organization. In May 2006, Bush appointed Portman the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. After leaving that office in November 2007, Portman returned to private legal practice. He remained active in politics and was considered a possible running mate for John McCain in the 2008 election. In 2010, Portman announced his campaign for the United States Senate seat being vacated by George Voinovich. He won easily over then-Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher and was reelected in 2016. As a Senator, Portman has been viewed as a moderate Republican, though he has voted in line with conservative President Donald Trump 92% of the time. In 2013, Portman became the first Republican in nearly a decade to publicly support legal recognition of same-sex marriage. He has been considered a possible pick for Vice President in each of the last 3 presidential elections, and has also been named a possible future presidential candidate himself.