LegiStorm

Summary

Biographical

Family:

Education

• University of Michigan Law School - JD (1984)

• Dartmouth College - AB, anthropology (1979)

• Cincinnati (Ohio) Country Day School - High school diploma (1974)

Office History

Election Results

• 2017 (Nov. 8, 2016 election)

  U.S. Senate Seat for Ohio (Class 3)
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 58.03%

  Republican
  Ted Strickland, 37.16%

  Democrat
  Tom Connors, 1.73%

  Nonpartisan
  Joseph R. DeMare, 1.64%

  Green
  Scott Rupert, 1.44%

  Nonpartisan

• 2011 (Nov. 2, 2010 election)

  U.S. Senate Seat for Ohio (Class 3)
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 56.85%

  Republican
  Lee Fisher, 39.40%

  Democrat
  Eric W. Deaton, 1.73%

  Constitution
  Michael L. Pryce, 1.31%

  Independent

• 2005 (Nov. 2, 2004 election)

  2nd Congressional District of Ohio
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 71.70%

  Republican
  Charles W Sanders, 28.29%

  Democrat

• 2003 (Nov. 5, 2002 election)

  2nd Congressional District of Ohio
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 74.05%

  Republican
  Charles Sanders, 25.95%

  Democrat

• 2001 (Nov. 7, 2000 election)

  2nd Congressional District of Ohio
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 73.57%

  Republican
  Charles W Sanders, 23.09%

  Democrat
  Robert E Bidwell, 3.34%

  Libertarian

• 1999 (Nov. 3, 1998 election)

  2nd Congressional District of Ohio
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 75.79%

  Republican
  Charles W Sanders, 24.21%

  Democrat

• 1997 (Nov. 5, 1996 election)

  2nd Congressional District of Ohio
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 72.01%

  Republican
  Thomas R Chandler, 22.63%

  Democrat
  Kathleen M Mcknight, 5.36%

  Natural Law

• 1995 (Nov. 8, 1994 election)

  2nd Congressional District of Ohio
  Robert Jones Portman (Rob), 77.44%

  Republican
  Les Mann, 22.56%

  Democrat

Employment History

• American Enterprise Institute (Feb. 2023-)

  Distinguished Visiting Fellow

• Squire Sanders (US) LLP (2007-2009)

  Partner

• Office of Management and Budget (2006-2007)
  George Walker Bush

  Director

• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (2005-2006)
  George Walker Bush

  U.S. Trade Representative

• White House Office of Legislative Affairs (1989-1991)
  George Herbert Walker Bush

  Deputy Assistant and Director

• Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP (1986-1989)

  Partner

• Patton Boggs & Blow LLP (1984-1986)

  Partner

Associated Organizations

• Portman for Congress Committee (Ohio)

• Portman for Senate Committee (Ohio)

• Ohio's Future PAC

• America's Majority Trust

Awards

• Energy Education Champion Award (Ohio Natural Energy Institute) (Aug. 2022)

• Beer Champion (Beer Institute) (Sept. 2021)

• Legislator of the Year (Great Lakes Maritime Task Force) (Aug. 2019)

• Distinguished Travel Champion Award (U.S. Travel Association) (2019)

• Guardian of Small Business (National Federation of Independent Business Inc.) (Nov. 2018)

• Bakers’ Dozen Awards (American Bakers Association) (Sept. 2018)

• Beer Champion (Beer Institute) (Sept. 2018)

• Tree of Life Award (Jewish National Fund) (Sept. 2018)

• Employee Benefits Champion Award (American Benefits Council) (Aug. 2018)

• Lifetime Achievement Award (Congressional Management Foundation) (June 2018)

• Outstanding Legislator Award (Committee on Pipe & Tube Imports) (May 2018)

• Conservative Achievement Award (American Conservative Union) (April 2018)

• Golden Plow (American Farm Bureau Federation) (March 2018)

• Distinguished Community Health Defender Award (National Association of Community Health Centers Inc.) (2018)

• Health IT Pioneer Award (Health Innovation Alliance) (Dec. 2017)

• Leadership Award (FASD United Inc.) (Nov. 2017)

• Jefferson-Lincoln Award (Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy) (Nov. 2017)

• Jacob K. Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership (Marian B. and Jacob K. Javits Foundation) (Nov. 2017)

• Centennial Champion Award (National Park Foundation) (May 4, 2017)

• Spirit of Enterprise Award (U.S. Chamber of Commerce) (March 2017)

• Jefferson-Lincoln Award (Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy) (2017)

• Hero of Main Street (National Retail Federation) (Oct. 2016)

• Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award (National Association of Manufacturers) (Oct. 2016)

• Hero of Main Street (National Retail Federation) (May 2016)

• Children's Health Champion (Voices for Ohio's Children) (May 2016)

• National Environmental Achievement Award for Federal Public Service (National Associations of Clean Water Agencies) (April 13, 2016)

• Hero of Main Street (National Retail Federation) (July 2015)

• Medicare Part D Patient Access Champion Award (National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs) (June 12, 2015)

Publications

• Wisdom's Paradise: The Forgotten Shakers of Union Village (2004)

Official Signature

Contact Information

Main Office
1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20036
Phone: (202) 862-5800
Fax: (202) 862-7177
View Larger Map

Lobbying and Foreign Representation

Registered to represent foreign interests by:

• Squire Patton Boggs (1985-1986)

Privately Financed Travel

13 trips taken between 2000 - 2022 costing $24,243

See map of trips

Personal Financial Disclosures

Disclosures as a member:

Foreign Gifts

• 5/24/2011: Gold and silver dagger from Serbia ($200.00)
• 6/10/2011: Blue floral vase from Afghanistan ($150.00)

» See more

Congressional Staff

Caught Our Eye

• Ex-Palantir & CVS lobbyist moves to Sen. Minority Whip

  Posted by Keturah Hetrick on March 21, 2023
  Fresh from Palantir Technologies's government-affairs team, a lobbyist has returned to Senate Republicans. read more

• Trump-tied Bush scheduler heads back to Sen. Portman

  Posted by Keturah Hetrick on April 1, 2022
  George W. Bush's former scheduler, a woman whose husband is tied to Donald Trump, has found her way back to Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). read more

• For many members of Congress, lobbying is a family business

  Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Jan. 11, 2021
  Most U.S. senators eventually will have federal lobbyists in their family, LegiStorm data suggests. The proportion of representatives who will have family lobbying ties is nearly as high. read more

• Another aide to Sen. Portman leaves for NAM

  Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Jan. 11, 2019
  The National Association of Manufacturers has poached its third aide to Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in a year. read more

• Sen. Portman and HSGAC aide heads to NEC Corp.

  Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Oct. 3, 2018
  NEC Corp., the multinational IT firm, has added a longtime aide to Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to its U.S. subsidiary. read more

• Former marine and defense consultant returns to Hill

  Posted by Steve Shapiro on Nov. 19, 2015
  A former Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) staffer has turned back to Congress this month after a two-and-a-half year stint in the private sector. read more

• Former congressman's son finds job with House Ways and Means Committee

  Posted by Jenna Ebersole on Feb. 5, 2015
  The son of former Ohio congressman Bill Gradison may not be elected to Congress, but his new job puts him in familiar territory for the family. read more

• Portman's top adviser took a hefty pay cut through the revolving door

  Posted by LegiStorm on Oct. 31, 2011
  When Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) took his Senate seat at the beginning of this year, he pulled his chief of staff back through the revolving door from K Street. read more

• Posted by LegiStorm on Oct. 12, 2011
  Robert Lehman, Rob Portman's chief of staff, reports earning $440,000 at Squire Sanders and Dempsey. His clients included National Mutual Insurance Co., the National Cotton Council and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

• LegiStorm has added financial disclosures for the new members-elect

  Posted by LegiStorm on Nov. 5, 2010
  The anger about economic uncertainty that led average citizens to send new legislators to Washington does not mean that they elected people strictly of average means. read more