Josh Mandel, current Ohio treasurer and former Senate nominee, has dropped out of the 2018 race for U.S. Senate. Mandel cites his wife's health as the primary reason for his decision. Mandel was widely seen to be the front-runner for the Republican nomination, with the primary set for May 8. Many speculate that other well-known Republicans stayed out of the race in order to clear the way for Mandel or to run for governor. So, that leaves the question: who's going to get the Republican nomination and face Sherrod Brown in the general election in the fall?

The current Republican candidates are investment banker Mike Gibbons, businesswoman Melissa Ackison, and 2016 Senate candidate Don Elijah Eckhart. None of these candidates have anywhere near the name recognition that Josh Mandel has. Low familiarity could be very detrimental to a campaign, especially against an incumbent. In an election year that's expected to favor the Democrats, Republicans are going to need a popular, well-known figure in Ohio politics if they want their best chance to take this seat. The state GOP realizes this, as there is an apparent effort to recruit author and venture capitalist, J.D. Vance, for the race. But it isn't clear whether or not Vance wants to run for Senate at the time. While he has stated that he possibly wants to run for office in the future, Vance has never held office before. Vance would be a wildcard for sure, but the GOP might be better off with a safe, establishment pick if the race looks to be close.

Then there are the candidates that are running for the other statewide election in 2018: the race for Governor. The major candidates for that race are Attorney-General Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, and US Representative Jim Renacci. Of these, DeWine has the best chance currently of winning the nomination. These are the classic "establishment" politicians of the Ohio GOP. In running for governor, these individuals show their strive for higher office. The best move for the Ohio GOP might be to convince either Taylor or Renacci to withdraw from the Governor's race and instead run for Senate. Mary Taylor, in particular, could be a solid pick, considering that she has the name recognition and holds statewide office. Paired with her legacy as a fairly popular governor's second-in-command, she is likely the GOP's best choice to take Brown's seat.