Republican Matt Dolan, co-owner of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, opened an exploratory committee as he ponders a Senate bid for 2022.
The 56-year-old Ohio state senator is personally rich and hailed from northeast Ohio, a major battlefield for nationwide racing. The question is whether Republican primary voters, who predominantly support former President Donald Trump, are interested in a candidate who identifies himself as a pragmatic conservative rather than a loyalist “Make America Great Again”. Dolan is trying to find out.
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“He’s a reasonable guy and his exploratory committee is just that,” a knowledgeable Republican insider said Friday. “If it doesn’t see a path forward, it won’t archive” to execute.
Senator Rob Portman, a second-term Republican, will retire late next year. Rep. Tim Ryan has the Democratic primary for himself, at least so far. But the field of prime GOP candidates is crowded and seems to be growing by the day, almost entirely with competitors competing to prove they are the pro-Trump candidates.
In that regard, Dolan could take on a unique lead, a dynamic that could give him a chance to fight.
“How [President] Joe Biden and the Washington Democrats are pushing America to the brink of socialism, opening our borders, and trying to rewrite the Constitution. As an Ohioan, I am concerned about protecting our conservative values and fighting for what matters most, “Dolan wrote on his exploratory website.” I know that serious problems require serious leadership. It’s time to focus on what really matters. “
Republicans who are in the race or ready to enter include wealthy businessman and 2018 Senate candidate Jim Gibbons; former State Treasurer and 2012 Senate nominee Josh Mandel; Cuban immigrant and entrepreneur Bernie Moreno; former Ohio Republican Party chairman Jane Timken; and venture capitalist JD Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy.
Trump won Ohio in 2020 with 53% of the vote, 45% for Biden. Republican insiders overseeing the developing race in the Senate believe that being open to Trump is a prerequisite for winning the nomination. However, if Dolan runs, chances are he’s causing trouble for Almond, who also has his home base in northeast Ohio.
“He could be a factor in breaking into Mandel’s Cleveland base,” said a Republican strategist in Ohio.
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Mandel has been a primary school aggressor since the start of his campaign, the exact opposite of the image that Dolan created as a state senator. “Now is not the time for politeness. Now is not the time for bipartisanism. Now is the time for the fight,” Mandel tweeted on Friday.
The winner of the Republican primary next April will be preferred to win the general election.
Original location: The co-owner of the baseball team tests the waters in the Ohio Senate race
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