J.D. Vance said Friday he wanted to focus on his family, his work with a new venture capital fund focused on boosting Midwest companies and a nonprofit he set up to help to tackle the state's opioid crisis. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images J.D. Vance passes on Senate run in Ohio

Venture capitalist and author J.D. Vance has deciding against running for Senate, as Republicans consolidate around Rep. Jim Renacci as their new challenger to Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown.

"I am truly honored by everyone who encouraged me to run for Senate this year," Vance wrote on Twitter. "I thought seriously about running in August 2017 but decided that the timing was awful for my young family. Some things have changed since then, but not enough to make running a good idea."


Vance reconsidered his original decision not to run after state Treasurer Josh Mandel ended his campaign, citing his wife's illness. Vance said Friday he wanted to focus on his family, his work with a new venture capital fund focused on boosting Midwest companies and a nonprofit he set up to help to tackle the state's opioid crisis.

Vance's decision came hours after Ohio's GOP congressional delegation unanimously endorsed Renacci, a sign of how the congressman — who switched over from the governor's race after Mandel's departure — is gathering GOP support. He faces businessman Mike Gibbons in the May 8 Republican primary.