Ohio Republican set to kick off race against Sherrod Brown: report

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is reportedly set to draw his first 2024 Republican challenger as Matt Dolan, a state senator who lost a crowded GOP Senate primary last year, will soon announce a run, according to reports.

Dolan is slated to announce his campaign next week, according to a report from NBC News, which was based on a leaked voicemail from an Ohio Republican official.

Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, has said he intends to seek reelection in 2024. His seat will be seen as a prime Republican pickup opportunity in the increasingly red state.

Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) seats and the soon-to-be open seat in Michigan, with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) set to retire, will join Ohio on Republicans’ shortlist.

In the 2022 GOP primary Dolan, considered a moderate, eventually lost to now-Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), he stood out as a candidate who would criticize former President Trump and other right-wingers who refused to accept the results of the 2020 election. 

A representative for Dolan declined to comment on the story on Monday, according to NBC News.