×

Sen. Portman tours successful local business

PEYTON NEELY The Marietta Times U.S. Senator Rob Portman, center, learns first-hand about the equipment used at Pioneer Pipe on Tuesday with a tour given by CEO and President Mike Archer, left, and Chief Operating Officer Matthew Hilverding.

During a stop in Marietta Tuesday, Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman said he is not supporting Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, despite having recently pulled his endorsement of her opponent, Donald Trump.

“I’ll be voting for Mike Pence,” said Portman, referring to Trump’s running mate, who also made a stop in Marietta Tuesday.

Portman was in town as part of his 35-county campaign tour in Ohio. He made a stop at Pioneer Pipe in Marietta Tuesday afternoon, taking a tour of the facility. The senator is seeking to earn his seat again, facing challenger and former Ohio governor Democrat Ted Strickland.

Portman initially endorsed Trump and then pulled his endorsement on Oct. 8 after a video leaked of Trump talking about groping and kissing women without consent.

“I found his comments, the most recent ones, to be offensive. I found them to be demeaning, degrading to women. For me, it was the final straw,” Portman said during a recent debate.

He told the Associated Press he is proud of the party he represents and he agrees with policies about rebuilding the military and growing the economy however he could no longer support Trump.

When asked by The Marietta Times Tuesday about pulling his endorsement and how it could affect his campaign, Portman said he is running his own campaign apart from other Republican candidates.

“It’s picking up and we are gaining momentum as we go into these next 14 days,” he said. “My policy position on things like energy continue to be things we talk about. We aren’t changing anything we are doing.”

Portman said he wants to protect Ohio workers from unfair imports from places including China.

“We have actually been successful in passing legislation that’s bringing back jobs,” he said.

Since pulling his endorsement of Trump, Portman said he isn’t worried that this will help garner more votes for Clinton in the battleground state of Ohio.

“People should make their own minds up,” he said. “When I made my decision it was personal. I respect people who feel differently about it and I am not supporting Hillary Clinton.”

Rob Portman

¯Age: 60.

¯Party: Republican.

¯Opponent: Democrat Ted Strickland.

¯Office: U.S. Senator since 2011.

Source: Times research.

 

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today