Matt Dolan
Matthew John Dolan (born January 12, 1965) is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the Ohio Senate from the 24th district. He previously served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010. Dolan's father Larry bought the Cleveland Guardians (then Cleveland Indians) in 2000 and gave Matt a partial stake in the Major League Baseball team. Prior to his election victory in 2016, Dolan was part of the team's front office, overseeing the budget and also running the team's charity program. On September 20, 2021, he  announced his candidacy in the 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio. Early life and education. Dolan was born and raised in Chardon, Ohio, and is a graduate of Gilmour Academy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Boston College and a Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Forbes ranked the extended Dolan family as the 54th richest in the United States in 2015, with most of its wealth attributed to his uncle Charles' investments in cable television. Career. An attorney, Dolan is a former chief assistant prosecutor for Geauga County and  assistant attorney general for the State of Ohio. He is a partner at the law firm of Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan. Politics. In 2004, Dolan was elected to represent the 98th District in the Ohio House of Representatives, and was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. He resigned in January 2010 to focus on a run for Cuyahoga County executive. On November 2, 2010, he lost to Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald. After taking a break from politics to work in the Indians' front office, in 2016, Dolan opted to make a comeback by running to succeed state Senator Tom Patton, who  was term-limited that year after serving in the Senate for over eight years. A competitive seat on paper, the 24th District had been held by Republicans for over thirty years, which created a competitive primary. For the Republican nomination, Dolan faced sitting state Representatives Nan Baker and Mike Dovilla. However, his name recognition and large personal wealth put him over the edge, and he won the nomination with 44% of the vote, to Baker's 29% and Dovilla's 27%. While the general election was at first deemed competitive, it did not prove to be in the end. Facing  Emily Hagan, an assistant county prosecutor and the niece of former Cuyahoga County commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Tim Hagan, Dolan won with over 58% of the vote. He was sworn into office on January 3, 2017.