Dolan enters race for US Senate
Ohio senator seeks to bring a more traditional voice to GOP candidacy
Ohio Sen. Matt Dolan officially entered the race for U.S. Senate on Monday, seeking to bring a more traditional voice to a field of Republicans who want to emulate former President Donald
Trump.
The move comes months after the Chagrin Falls Republican launched a statewide listening tour to gauge whether voters have the appetite for a candidate like him. The answer, he says, is a resounding yes.
“I’m the only one with experience,” Dolan said in an interview. “I’m the only one that has taken smart, conservative principles and produced results for the state of Ohio.”
Dolan is the latest Republican to enter the fray to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman. Also vying for the GOP nomination are former Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel, author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, former state GOP chair Jane Timken, car dealer Bernie Moreno and investment banker Mike Gibbons.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and attorney Morgan Harper are running on the Democratic side of the race.
Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Indians, was first elected to represent Ohio’s 24th Senate District in 2016. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, he played an integral role in passing a two-year spending plan dubbed the most conservative budget in legislative history.
Prior to his time in the Senate, he served three terms in the House and worked as an assistant prosecutor for Geauga County and assistant attorney general.
‘My style may be different’
In many ways, Dolan could not be more different from his Republican opponents.
The race so far has been dominated by a fight over who’s Trumpiest as the candidates aim to secure the former president’s endorsement and appeal to his supporters. They’ve peddled misinformation about COVID-19, railed against “woke culture” and blasted a bipartisan infrastructure package spearheaded by Portman.
Dolan, meanwhile, voted against Ohio’s stand your ground law and joined Gov. Mike Dewine in calling for gun reforms after a mass shooting in Dayton. He opposed the fetal heartbeat abortion bill and legislation that would have required written consent for contact tracing during the pandemic.
“President Trump remains a big influence in the Republican Party, but it’s the Republican ideals that he puts forth that’s resonating with people, and that’s what I’m focused on,” he said.
Dolan was also the only Republican in the Senate race to applaud the infrastructure deal. Other candidates conflated it with a $3.5 trillion spending bill being pushed by Democrats that both Portman and Dolan oppose.
“We’re sent to our respective offices to get these done in the best interest of our constituents,” he said. “Infrastructure is an essential part of economic development in Ohio.”
Dolan held over 100 events in 32 counties throughout the summer, according to his campaign. He plans to prioritize issues like security and the economy, saying it’s important to ensure people go back to work after the pandemic gutted businesses.
He also said he wants voters in Ohio to know they can trust him at a time when people are skeptical of government officials. And Dolan acknowledges that his style is different and less “wicked” than some of his opponents.
“Tones of campaigns should not be the distinguishing factor for who gets to serve in the U.S. Senate,” he said.
Haley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.