Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Dolan today earned the endorsement of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram Editorial Board. In their endorsement, the editorial board said, “Dolan is a staunch conservative” and that “of all the Republican candidates, Dolan would appeal to a broader spectrum of the electorate in the general election.” Dolan has also earned the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon Journal.
Below are excerpts from the Chronicle-Telegram’s endorsement editorial. The full endorsement can be read by clicking HERE.
Republicans should back Dolan in Senate race
Early on in our endorsement interview with state Sen. Matt Dolan, he summed up why he stands out as the best candidate among the Republicans vying to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Rob Portman.
“They were running a campaign for one person, and I thought we needed to run a campaign for Ohio,” Dolan said.
The person in question is former President Donald Trump, whose shadow has loomed large over the Republican primary.
While the rest of the leading candidates — investment banker Mike Gibbons, 70, former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, 44, former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken, 55, and author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, 37 — were busy bowing and scraping for Trump’s endorsement, Dolan, of Chagrin Falls, has kept his attention on Ohio.
Trump eventually endorsed Vance, a move that caused consternation in some corners of the party because Vance has morphed from a Trump critic into a devoted follower.
***
As Dolan put it, the rest of the candidates are more interested in looking backward than forward.
We cannot shake the suspicion that, if elected, the other candidates would be more focused on pleasing Trump than serving Ohioans. Not only that, Dolan seemed interested in actually legislating and tackling the problems facing Ohio and the nation.
***
Despite his refusal to grovel before Trump, Dolan is no RINO, or Republican in Name Only. For instance, he said Trump made the right decision in withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
Dolan is a staunch conservative and was critical of President Joe Biden.
He said he supported increasing domestic oil production, controlling deficit spending and securing the southern border. He is pro-life, and to buttress his case he pointed to several anti-abortion bills that have passed while he’s served in Columbus.
He condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he rightly blamed on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He did, however, argue that the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan showed weakness, something he said Putin sensed.
Although he favors a strong national defense, Dolan said sanctions and military aid, rather than direct military intervention, were the proper response to the war in Ukraine.
We also were impressed with his thoughtful answer when we asked about trade tariffs. He recognized, correctly in our view, that tariffs have limited value because the costs are usually passed on to consumers.
***
Embracing Trump and all the grudges and grievances that come with him might help in a Republican primary, but it could turn off swing voters in November, even in a state Trump twice won.
Of all the Republican candidates, Dolan would appeal to a broader spectrum of the electorate in the general election.
If Republicans want to keep Portman’s seat in their party’s hands, their best bet is Dolan.
View online HERE.
Learn more about Matt Dolan’s campaign for U.S. Senate at www.DolanForOhio.com.