LeBron James is being floated around as a possible replacement after Ohio senator Rob Portman announced he won’t be running for reelection.
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Portman cited “partisan gridlock” as a reason why he is stepping away from Congress:
“I don’t think any Senate office has been more successful in getting things done, but honestly, it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision,” he said in a statement.
James is among the less apolitical sports stars we’ve seen around the recent past. His willingness to take on President Trump earned him respect from all quarters. Practically everyone remembers the fashion in which he dismissed Trump, calling him a bum on his Twitter.
Basketball players are no strangers to public life or to politics. Kevin Johnson became the mayor of Sacramento. 7-time Pistons All Star Dave Bing ran for and won Detroit mayorial elections in 2009.
What are the chances of LeBron James running for the Senators’ election next year?
James has an NBA contract that ties him to the Lakers right up until 2023. His son could make the NBA by that time, meaning James would extend his career by at least another year to get to play with Bronny. This means that there is practically no chance of LeBron James becoming an Ohio Senator in the near future.
Dave Chappelle, on the other hand, is another name being floated around as a possible replacement. The comedian, commonly viewed as the greatest comic of this century, definitely has the drawing power for the job. But Chappelle also seems the least bit interested in public life.
LeBron has never expressed any real interest about starting a career in politics. In general, politicians are much more likely to be university graduates in the USA. But sportspersons are a different breed in every country. Their popularity usually trumps the need for them to be well-educated.
