WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The end of the midterm elections means the beginning of new speculation about who will run for president in 2020 and who will assume leadership positions in Congress. At least three of Ohio’s lawmakers in Washington could be factors.

  • Rep. Jim Jordan to run for House Minority Leader
  • Whispers of Rep. Tim Ryan or Sen. Sherrod Brown running for president
  • Gov. Kasich could challenge Pres. Trump in primary

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-04) is one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

He was re-elected to his seventh term on Tuesday night and announced on Wednesday that he’ll be running for House Republican Leader. 

Kyle Kondik is managing editor of the non-partisan Sabato’s Crystal Ball and has studied Ohio politics for decades.

He said Jordan’s role as co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus could help him in his run for leadership.

“The Freedom Caucus may actually have even more power in the caucus then it had before, because some of the more moderate members have lost,” Kondik said.

Congressman Tim Ryan (D-13) is an Ohio Democrat who is sometimes named as a potential candidate for president.

The District 13 representative has been in office since 2003 and unsuccessfully challenged Nancy Pelosi in a race to lead House Democrats in 2016.

“It is very hard for a House member to run a truly credible campaign for president because ultimately a House member really only has a small base and is not as well known nationally as even a senator or governor,” Kondik said.

But Kondik said Ryan and another Ohio Democrat, Senator Sherrod Brown, carry with them a midwest, working class appeal that the Democratic Party might rely on in 2020.

Brown was easily re-elected to another six-year term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, which means he’ll have job security if he runs for president and loses.

“If the Democrats want to win the White House in 2020, they don’t necessarily have to win Ohio back but they would have to probably win Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin — some combination of those states, maybe all three of those states, in order to win the presidency,” Kondik said.

Another name to keep an eye on is outgoing Ohio Governor John Kasich. He’s a Republican who has been critical of President Trump and he may run for president again in 2020, if he doesn’t turn to a full-time job in media.