Former Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) gave his support to state Senator Matt Dolan (R) in the Ohio Senate GOP primary on Friday.
Portman and his wife expressed that they believe Matt Dolan's conservative track record and dedication to achieving results in the U.S. Senate make him stand out among the three candidates in the Republican nomination race.
They added, “Our party and our state have consistently seen Matt as a capable leader who can collaborate with others to achieve important policy victories for Ohio. Matt's focus on delivering results makes him the most suitable candidate to effectively tackle issues in the U.S. Senate as well.
Dolan is among the three leading Republican contenders competing for the party's nomination to challenge Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in November. Trump-endorsed businessman Bernie Moreno and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose are also vying for the GOP nod.
Portman's endorsement sets him apart from Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who took over Portman's Senate seat and has endorsed Moreno in the primary.
There has been polling showing a close competition when any of the three Republicans are matched against Brown. An Emerson College Polling survey conducted in late January found Brown leading LaRose and Moreno by 2 percentage points each, and Dolan by 1 point — both within the poll’s margin of error of 2.3 percentage points.
When the survey included all GOP contenders, Moreno had 22 percent support, LaRose had 21 percent, and Dolan had 15 percent, with 42 percent undecided.
