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

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.