He was apparently beating the awful D Sherrod Brown in the polls for the Ohio Senate until the week before the election and then he mysteriously stopped campaigning and Brown won. Why he would seriously be considered as the R candidate for Portman’s seat in 2022 is beyond me; JD Vance is a far better candidate.
Mandel withdrew before the primary election. He couldn't beat his fellow Republicans much less Sherrod.
Against Sherrod he was probably presented with pictures and suggestions made that he might better end his campaign. The second time he has been simply outed as he has not learned from the first time.