Ohio Republican congressman Warren Davidson has announced he will not run for the Senate in 2024, narrowing the field of challengers to Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. 

Davidson said Tuesday that a Senate campaign would distract from his work in the House.

"Running for Senate would effectively take me out of the fight in the House for 1.5 years to spend the vast majority of my time raising money,” he wrote.

"Although time spent with constituents in Ohio is the truest joy of the work, a very narrow majority in the House of Representatives means my vote will be essential on any bill that breaks on party lines – important issues.”

Ohio Republican makes the call

Two candidates have already entered the Republican primary: car dealer Bernie Moreno and Republican state senator Matt Dolan.

Both were candidates in the crowded Republican primary to replace Rob Portman last year.

Moreno dropped out after Trump told him he was concerned about there being too many "Trump candidates" in the primary. But Trump is already showing interest in Moreno's latest bid.

"Word is that Bernie Moreno, the highly respected businessman from the GREAT STATE of OHIO, and the father-in-law of fantastic young Congressman, Max Miller, is thinking of running for the Senate," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He would not be easy to beat, especially against Brown, one of the worst in the Senate!"

The power of Trump's endorsement in the state was displayed last year when he lifted J.D. Vance to a late primary victory. Moreno has been endorsed by Vance, who won Portman's seat in November after defeating Democrat Tim Ryan by six points.

Next battle

Ohio's next Senate battle is expected to be an uphill climb for Democrats. Ohio has shifted red in recent election cycles and is known as Trump-friendly state, making Brown one of the most vulnerable senators on the map.

Davidson, a House Freedom Caucus member who won a special election in 2016 to replace John Boehner, said he'll "always wonder" if he could have been the one to unseat Brown.

“I am confident that Ohio’s voters are onto Sherrod Brown and will send him home. I shall always wonder if it would have been me, but it won’t,” Davidson continued.

“Instead, I will continue to defend freedom from Ohio’s 8th District and seek re-election in 2024.”

Ohio's Secretary of State Frank LaRose is expected to jump in the race soon as well.