CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — The race to be Ohio’s next U.S. Senator just got a bit more crowded.
State Senator Matt Dolan made it official Monday by announcing his campaign to fill the soon-to-be-vacated seat by Sen. Rob Portman, who plans to retire next year.
“After meeting with Republicans, conservative activists and community leaders across Ohio in recent weeks, it’s clear that the focus of the race for U.S. Senate has yet to be about our people, our interests, and our beloved state,” Dolan said in a statement. “This changes today with the announcement of my candidacy for U.S. Senate.”
Dolan first hinted at his interest in running back in July when he launched the “Ohio Matters Tour,” which his team said was designed “to directly hear from Ohioans, to elevate their voices and actively discuss the kind of leadership they want from their next U.S. Senator.
Dolan, a Republican from Chagrin Falls, currently represents Ohio's District 24. You may also recognize his name connected with the family that owns the Cleveland Indians.
“Ohio is under attack by the socialist agenda being pushed by President Joe Biden and Democrats like Tim Ryan and Chuck Schumer,” Dolan said in Monday’s campaign announcement. “Over the last eight months, the Biden Administration has unilaterally created a humanitarian crisis on our southern border, a national security crisis in the Middle East and an economic crisis across America with rising inflation and the pending threat of record tax and spending increases. Our sovereignty is under threat, our economy is under stress and our safety at home and abroad is at risk. The stakes of this election could not be greater.”
His team released the following campaign video:
Here is the rest of Dolan’s campaign statement:
“Ohioans want jobs, not a federal government paying people to not work. Ohioans want security, not a federal government who opens our borders and defunds our police. And Ohioans want a problem solver who has successfully faced Ohio’s biggest challenges impacting our quality of life, not the political blame game that lacks commonsense solutions. I have a proven conservative record of success to meet this moment and to get to work on my first day in the U.S. Senate to put the needs of our state and nation first.
“We live in an indispensable and exceptional nation. One in which freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. With the courage of my convictions, clarity of purpose and a resolute focus on the real challenges facing our beloved state, I am ready to lead.”
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published on Jan. 26, 2021.