Mandel says he was GOP's 7th choice to challenge Sherrod Brown

Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) was the Ohio Republican Party's seventh choice to challenge Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) after six others turned down party leaders, he told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday.

Mandel was one of a number of recruiting disappointments for the GOP last cycle: he lost to the liberal Brown by six points in the swing state and ran a few points behind presidential nominee Mitt Romney there, though he came much closer than former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), who lost his Senate race by 21 points, and Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), who lost his by a 13-point margin.

He said the state party's preferred candidate had been Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio), who refused to run. They also asked Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, who lost to Brown in 2006, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor (R), Secretary of State Jon Husted (R), and former Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) before settling on Mandel.

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