COLUMBUS — State Sen. Matt Dolan (R., Chagrin Falls), who tried to travel the non-Trump lane to the U.S. Senate last year, announced Tuesday that he will try again in 2024, this time hoping to take on Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown.
Mr. Dolan landed in third in the Republican primary last November, behind now-U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, who had former President Donald Trump's endorsement, and former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who courted it. Mr. Trump has already announced his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination at the same time that Mr. Dolan would be on Ohio's primary election ballot.
“A lot can change in 30 years, but in that time Sherrod Brown's commitment to his party has remained the same,” Mr. Dolan said. “And if blind loyalty to his party's agenda 98 percent of the time wasn't extreme enough, his willingness to pack the Supreme Court with left-wing judges and gut the filibuster prove just how radical his politics have become.
“Together with Joe Biden, Sherrod Brown has kicked America's problems down the road for a generation,” he said. “Their time is up.”
Mr. Dolan is the first major GOP candidate to enter the race. Others mentioned as potential contenders include Secretary of State Frank LaRose and possibly state Attorney General Dave Yost. It is unclear how many of the other candidates from 2022's crowded field to replace the now-retired Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman will jump back into the race.
In announcing his candidacy, Mr. Dolan, 58, criticized President Biden's “botched” withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and the administration's handling of illegal immigration at the Mexican border.
“I am unapologetically committed to putting the needs of Ohio first and delivering results as our next U.S. senator,” he said. “With the courage of my convictions, clarity of purpose, and a resolute focus on the challenges and opportunities facing our beloved state, I am ready to lead.”
As chairman of the state Senate Finance Committee, Mr. Dolan led his chamber in crafting the current two-year budget, including a 3 percent income tax cut. He will play that role again this year after Gov. Mike DeWine unveils his proposed budget later this month.
He stood out from the crowd last year by not seeking Mr. Trump's endorsement, which ultimately proved valuable in getting Mr. Vance the nomination. But he supported some of the Trump era policies, such as calling for completion of the border wall.
Mr. Dolan's 2020 campaign took aim at President Biden's energy, drug, and crime policies while touting his conservative credentials of tax cutting and funding law enforcement.
Mr. Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004. He resigned in 2010 to run unsuccessfully for Cuyahoga County executive. He worked in the front office of the family business before being elected to the Ohio Senate in 2016.
“The crises confronting our nation today are entirely self-made,” he said. “The botched withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldened America's adversaries. A failure to adhere to the rule of law has resulted in humanitarian and security crises on our southern border that undermine our national sovereignty and strain law enforcement.”
He poured a lot of his own money into his U.S. Senate campaign.
“Ohio voters have already rejected the Dolan family’s attempt to buy a U.S. Senate seat once, and we’re confident they will again,” Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Elizabeth Walters said. “The contrast couldn’t be clearer. While millionaire Matt Dolan has been a shill for his corporate donors at the statehouse, Sherrod Brown has spent his whole career fighting to put working families first.”
Democrats currently control the U.S. Senate by a thin margin of 51-49.
Mr. Brown, a former congressman and Ohio secretary of state, is expected to seek a third six-year term. He was the sole non-judicial Democrat to win statewide in 2018. But Ohio is looking increasingly red, backing Mr. Trump twice by 8 percentage points. Republicans hope 2024 is ripe for flipping Mr. Brown’s seat.
First Published January 17, 2023, 2:38 p.m.
