How a Trump-averse Republican in Ohio is shaking up a crowded ...

ProfileSectionstvFeaturedMore From NBCFollow NBC NewsCLEVELAND — In Ohio’s crowded Republican Senate primary, every candidate would do just about anything to grab former President Donald Trump’s attention — except one.And the one who wouldn’t — Matt Dolan — had Trump's attention within hours of launching his campaign.“I know of at least one person in the race who I won’t be endorsing,” Trump declared in September, upbraiding Dolan for being a member of the family that owns Cleveland’s Major League Baseball franchise that recently changed its name to the Guardians.Dolan, a state senator, is running a unique campaign for a Republican in 2022. He’s moved up in the polling,” said one unaligned Ohio Republican strategist, who is torn between Dolan and Jane Timken, a former state party chair, and requested anonymity to speak freely because of divided loyalties. “Dolan can’t win it without President Trump’s endorsement, and you have a better chance of getting the endorsement than he does,” Budowich told NBC News.It hasn’t always been this easy for Dolan to stand out. Among the GOP candidates, Dolan is the only one who holds elected office and one of only two who ever has.“You have a handful of candidates that look the same, sound the same, act the same, and they’re letting Matt have the serious lane to himself,” said state Sen. Jay Hottinger, a Republican and a longtime friend of Dolan’s who has endorsed him. “I’m Matt Dolan and I approve this message because without a border,” he concludes as he snaps the pencil in half, “we have no country.” Dolan doesn’t mention Trump in the ads, but he does criticize President Joe Biden.“I’ll let others decide whether or not this is a vote on the Republican Party,” Dolan said of his Senate primary contest.