On Monday, GOP Rep. Steve Stivers, of Ohio, announced that he’s resigning from Congress to become the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. The abrupt resignation leaves House Republicans with one fewer vote in the narrowly divided House of Representatives.
“I’m excited to announce that I will be taking on a new opportunity that allows me to continue to do that. Effective May 16, I will be leaving Congress in order to accept the position of President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce,” Stivers wrote on Twitter.
Currently, the House balance is 218 Democrats and 212 Republicans with five vacancies. With Stivers leaving, Republicans would have 211. A date for a special election to fill the seat has yet to be determined.
Stivers’ decision also rules out the possibility that Stivers would enter the competitive Republican primary for the US Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Rob Portman. That is expected to be one of the most hotly contested Senate contests of the next campaign cycle.
I'm excited to announce that I will be taking on a new opportunity that allows me to continue to do that. Effective May 16, I will be leaving Congress in order to accept the position of President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
— Steve Stivers (@RepSteveStivers) April 19, 2021
