Updated Jan 17, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown draws first GOP challenger of 2024

Erin Doherty

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Dolan addresses the media after his loss to J.D. Vance during an election night watch party at the Tavern of Independence on May 3, 2022 — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Dolan addresses the media on May 3, 2022. Photo: Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan (R) announced Tuesday that he is running for Senate in 2024, seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown.

Why it matters: Dolan is the first official challenger to Brown, who has been senator since 2007, in what is expected to be a contentious 2024 race in a state that has turned increasingly red.

What he's saying: "Ohioans want a problem solver who has successfully faced big challenges impacting our quality of life, not the political blame game that lacks commonsense solutions," Dolan said in a statement on Twitter.

"I have a proven conservative record of success that has yielded results for Ohio families, workers and businesses."

The big picture: Dolan ran for Ohio's Senate seat during the 2022 midterm elections, but lost during the Republican primary to J.D. Vance, who ultimately became a senator.

Ohio, once purple bellwether, is now firmly red and has been all but abandoned by Democrats' national apparatus, Axios' Tyler Buchanan reports.
Former President Trump won Ohio by eight points in both 2016 and 2020.

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Add Axios on Google

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown draws first GOP challenger of 2024

What to read next