State Sen. Matt Dolan is a Chagrin Falls Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee.
Laura Hancock | cleveland.com (TNS)
LIMA —2022 saw hotly contested races in Ohio during both the primary and general election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Rob Portman, who retired after two terms.
While JD Vance ultimately won the race over U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan in November, the primary on the Republican side was hotly contested throught the spring, and Vance emerged with just over 32% of the primary vote statewide, followed by former Treasurer Josh Mandel (24%), Matt Dolan (23%), investment banker Mike Gibbons (12%), former Republican party chair Jane Timken (6%) and even others splitting the Republican vote.
Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) has again announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2024. Dolan has served in the Ohio Senate since 2017. The Ohio Senator said his previous experience has prepared him for the next step.
If selected as the Republican representative in the primary election, Dolan will run against current U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
As the other top contenders in 2022’s Ohio Republican Senate primary battled for the favor of former President Donald Trump, Dolan modeled himself as a more traditional conservative, and largely funded his own campaign.
“I have been an assistant prosecutor, assistant attorney general, a legislator and a lawyer in a family business,” said Dolan. “I want to bring that wealth of experience to Washington to continue what I have been doing in Columbus. Getting conservative results and getting things done for the betterment of Ohio. I know we need that in Washington.”
The candidate added that working as a lawyer helped him to understand the needs of a business and understand the law as they are written.
“As a lawyer, you understand the implications of the law that you write,” added Dolan. “You also are used to getting things done to achieve a result. Our border is open and it is not secure. We keep sending people to Washington who are not going to engage on it. Our current democratic U.S. Senator does not even acknowledge it as an issue. He thinks it is a far-right issue. If you don’t send people to Washington who actually want to work hard and get things done we have these perpetual problems and we have to stop that.”
Dolan said he hopes to get things done if elected to the U.S. Senate.
“My election to the U.S. Senate would give the Republicans the majority of the U.S. Senate so we can actually accomplish what we set out to do,” said Dolan. “We need to secure our border, make the pillars of our congress strong, make security both abroad and at home, support our law enforcement, get our debt under control and go about the business of getting America strong. We can’t afford as Republicans not to gain the majority to actually engage and get these things done.”
Dolan has worked closely with Ohio State Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima). Throughout his time in Columbus, Dolan said he has aided in cutting income taxes, reducing tax brackets, expanding school choice and bringing new jobs to Ohio.
“We brought Intel and Honda,” said Dolan. “We have balanced our budgets. We have never spent more than our revenues. That is what I have accomplished with Matt and other legislatures. That is what I want to do if I go to Washington.”
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
