VOTER GUIDE: U.S. Senate Republican candidates

The Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News invited local candidates to fill out the following questionnaire to inform readers.

VOTE FOR 1:

Matt Dolan

City: Chagrin Falls

Education: J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law; Bachelor’s of arts, Boston College

Employment: Ohio Senator (Senate District 24), January 2017 – present; Ohio Representative (House District 98), January 2005 – January 2010; Assistant State Attorney General; Chief Assistant Prosecutor for Geauga County.

Community involvement: Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, LifeAct, Rio Grande University Board of Trustees, Case Western Reserve University Advisory Committee, Cleveland Foodbank Strategic Planning Committee.

Why are you seeking elected office? Failed leadership and reckless polices have plunged America into crisis. We see the ramifications of this every day in Ohio. From rising inflation and a migrant surge on our southern border, to the failed withdrawal and resulting national security and humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, this moment calls for public leaders guided by the constitution, conservative convictions, and a willingness to get things done. Ohio Republicans find themselves in need of an experienced public leader willing to stand astride the widening chasm of Democratic socialism that threatens to swallow our personal freedom, liberties and the founding principles of our Republic. My career of public service has been guided by faith, hard work and a focus on doing what is best for Ohio. Our next U.S. Senator must be sober minded on the challenges confronting our state and possess the skill set and experience to achieve results that get America back on the right track.

Why should voters elect you? As a state senator, I have solidified my conservative credentials by keeping my promises to reduce the size and scope of government, protect our local communities, and deliver record-breaking tax cuts to Ohio families and businesses. The recent budget which I drafted and negotiated earned wide praise from state and national conservative organizations, including the Ohio Republican Party which labeled the effort “the most conservative budget in Ohio legislative history.” From fighting to keep the costs of education low, to training Ohio’s workforce, championing school choice and funding our police, I have worked to ensure our state remains a national leader in protecting personal freedom and upholding the constitution. In this contest for U.S. Senate, I am the only candidate with a proven conservative record. My opponents have routinely sought to make this race about anything and everything other than Ohio. I’m running to make our state and America stronger. As a candidate, and Ohio’s next U.S. senator, I pledge to honor your support by never losing that focus.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? The Biden Administration has neglected its responsibility to keep Americans safe. According to Ohio law enforcement, reckless open border policies directly contribute to the increases of drug and human trafficking inside our state. Today, nearly 80% of overdose deaths in Ohio are caused by fentanyl raw materials sourced from China. My first priority will be to secure the border. Secondly, out of control spending policies and COVID restrictions have pushed inflation to the highest level in 40 years. The inflation crisis is not only robbing the bank accounts of every Ohio family by diminishing our purchasing power, but it is putting us at greater risk around the world. I will make it a priority to reduce prices on American families and businesses. Third, what began as a manufacturing battle waged on factory floors in cities like Dayton has turned into full-blown effort by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine our way of life. Now China’s expansionist aims are coming for more than our jobs and intellectual property. Joe Biden continues to project weakness on the world stage. We are in a new cold war and must make it a priority to renew American strength and strengthen our democracy.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? First, we must secure the border with physical and surveillance barriers and increase personnel support for the border patrol. This will protect America’s sovereignty and improve community safety here in Ohio. Congress should also designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and crack down on drugs and human trafficking. To reverse the inflation crisis and be strong as a nation, we must reclaim energy independence. That starts with protecting Line 5 here in Ohio and returning domestic energy to full production. Congress should also reduce out of control spending, cut government waste, stop incentivizing workers to stay home, and make commonsense investments that improve our supply chains and modernize infrastructure. Victory in this new cold war with China requires enhanced cooperation among democracies, as well as stronger international alliances such as NATO and the Quad to preserve collective security. New investments in technology and trade relationships must be combined with more robust diplomatic and trade strategies. Domestically, policymakers must take proactive steps to incentivize growth of an American economy less reliant on foreign supply chains, products and labor.

Anything else you would like voters to know? America is in crisis, and we need principled leadership to get our nation back on the right track. This seat belongs to the people of Ohio. My opponents are focused on the past and running negative campaigns because they cannot point to a record of accomplishment for Ohio. I’m proud of my conservative, results-oriented record, and what I have been able to achieve to make Ohio a better place to live, work and raise a family. I’m running for U.S. Senate to bring that same focus and record of accomplishment to Washington, D.C. to focus on today’s challenges. As Republicans, we have a choice. We can embrace the worldview of priorities of my opponents and look backwards, or we can squarely confront today’s crises and prepare Ohio for tomorrow’s opportunities. I pledge to honor your vote and the dignity of this office by running a campaign befitting the people I wish to serve, and I humbly ask for your vote.

Mike Gibbons

City: Fairview Park

Education: A.B., Kenyon College; M.S.M., Case Western Reserve University; J.D., Cleveland Marshall College of Law

Employment: Managing Director of Browns, Gibbons, Lang and Co.

Community involvement: Board of Trustees for Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the Visiting Committee for Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management, and the Board of Visitors of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He has previously served as vice chair of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, and on the Board of Trustees for Ohio-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Finance Advisory Board for the University of Akron College of Business, the Board of Directors for North Coast Professional Sports LLC, the Board of Trustees of Magnificat and St. Ignatius High School, and the Board of Trustees of the Great Lakes Theater Festival.

Why are you seeking elected office? I’m seeking elected office because I’m tired of throwing stuff at my television and seeing career politicians not deliver for Ohioans. I’m running to help protect and defend the American dream for our kids and grandkids. The left is destroying our country, and we have to stand up for American values. My son is a Navy pilot, and if he was willing to risk his life for our country, I knew I, too, had to give back to our country, which has given me everything.

Why should voters elect you? I am a businessman, not a politician. I know how jobs are created because I have done it. I know how the economy works and can take those skills to Washington to help restore our economy - no one else running does. I am not a career politician or party insider, and I cannot be bought. I am not going to Washington to start a new career or make friends, I have plenty in Ohio. I believe public servants should utilize their expertise from the private sector to get things done and then come home rather than staying in DC for decades.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? My top three priorities will be to secure our southern border, stop Biden’s record-setting inflation, and to fight to restore American values.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? To secure the southern border, we have to finish President Trump’s border wall, shut down illegal drug trade, and enforce the laws already on the books. We can tackle inflation by cutting unnecessary spending, stop printing money at record levels, and fix the supply chains. We need to promote restoring American values by fighting wokeism, cancel culture, and Big-Tech censorship. We need to stand for liberty, protecting the second amendment, defending life and religious liberty and start teaching patriotism again.

Anything else you would like voters to know? My father was a high school teacher and wrestling coach. I was born in the inner city of Cleveland and grew up in the working class suburb Parma, Ohio. I learned the value of work at an early age - first with a paper route, then as a landscaper, later on construction crews and the factory floor. Eventually, I went into business and started my own company with just a desk and a phone and grew that business into one of the best known middle market firms in the world. I have lived my American dream, and hate when the left says the American dream is dead.

Josh Mandel

No response

Neil Patel

No response

Mark Pukita

No response

Jane Timken

City: Canton

Education: Jane Timken is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati. She graduated from Harvard College, where she played for the Radcliffe Rugby Football Club, and received her J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law.

Employment: Jane Timken was the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021, until she stepped down to run for the U.S. Senate. Prior to that, Timken served as the vice chair of the Stark County Republican Party and had a successful legal career in Stark County, practicing law and serving as a magistrate and law clerk. Timken counts being a mom to her two kids as the most important job she has had.

Community involvement: Jane Timken has also been active in a number of civic and charitable organizations, including serving as director of CommQuest, which provides substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, adoption services, a homeless shelter, and a Samaritan’s Food Table, and as a board member of ArtsinStark. She was a member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, serving on the Archangel Fund, and served nine years as a trustee of Kent State University where she was chairman of the board of trustees.

Why are you seeking elected office? As most parents know, when something threatens your children, you fight – and Democrats’ policies are threatening this country. I’m a mom on a mission ready to fight for the America First agenda of American jobs, stronger borders and parents’ rights in education so our children’s future is protected. I’m also not a person who sits on the sidelines. When there’s a problem, I solve it. In 2016, when the Kasich-controlled Ohio Republican Party turned its back on President Trump, I ran for party chair as a conservative disrupter to fix their mess. With President Trump’s endorsement, I won, cleaned house, unified the party and proudly delivered sweeping victories in 2018 and 2020, culminating in an 8.5-point victory for President Trump! I once again can’t sit back. If you’re like me, you’re disgusted at what Joe Biden and Democrats have done to weaken America. They’ve caused inflation, gas prices have nearly doubled, and enemies like China and Russia are taking advantage of Biden’s weakness. We need a leader to fight back and that’s who I am. Ohio needs someone to secure the border, take on inflation, bring manufacturing jobs home from China, and give power to parents instead of the government.

Why should voters elect you? I am the only true America First candidate with the tenacity to stop the disastrous Biden agenda in its tracks. President Trump endorsed me to become chair of the Ohio Republican Party, and I have fought for America First policies at every level over the past five years, from the school board to the White House. I’m fighting for them again, not just because I am running for office like some of my opponents, but because it’s what I believe in, and it’s what worked for Ohio. I’ve put 200,000 miles on my car talking to Ohio families, businesses and communities, and I’m in this fight to bring commonsense, conservative leadership back to Washington. This race isn’t about me – it’s about the people of Ohio. There are many candidates in this race who wake up every day hoping to get “canceled” on social media or make headlines by saying something outrageous – but that’s not me. I’m the work horse, not the show horse, and I’m going to Washington to fight for the America First agenda, get things done for Ohioans, stop the Democrat slide to socialism, and ensure the American Dream is available for the next generation.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? 1. Securing our southern border and stopping the flood of illegal immigrants is a matter of national security. In the Senate, I will fight to finish President Trump’s wall, stop the flow of illegal drugs and gangs into Ohio, and ban illegal immigrants from voting in elections or receiving taxpayer funded welfare checks.

2. Joe Biden’s economic policies are forcing us to pay more for everything, from gas to groceries to diapers. In the Senate, I will revive our economy by putting a stop to Joe Biden’s job killing regulations and runaway inflation, voting to lower taxes for families and small businesses, and opposing any COVID mandates that hurt employers and workers. I’ll also work to restart American energy production so Ohioans aren’t paying $4/gallon at the gas pump.

3. We need an education disruption in this country. I will stop Biden’s Department of Education from pushing revisionist history by defunding critical race theory and instead, funding programs like STEM, tech credits, and more that prepare Ohio’s future workforce. China is laughing all the way to the bank as our schools focus more on gender and racial equity than training the next generation of engineers, tradesman, teachers and manufacturers.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? 1. Stronger borders: Finish President Trump’s wall. Introduce legislation that will deport criminal illegal aliens and require proof of citizenship to receive any federal aid. Designate drug and human trafficking cartels terrorist organizations so law enforcement has better tools to find and seize illegal drugs and stop the exploitation of women and girls. 2. American jobs: Stop Washington’s reckless spending by only supporting fiscally conservative, targeted spending. Vote for lower taxes and fewer regulations. Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment – no balanced budget, no paycheck for Congress. Make things in America again by bringing manufacturing jobs home from China. Stop Democrats’ war on oil and gas by restarting the Keystone XL Pipeline and making American energy independent again. 3. Parents’ rights: Defund critical race theory. Empower parents by increasing transparency and school choice. Increase workforce development programs by giving local businesses who invest, train and hire students tax credits. Downsize the Department of Education and return control to the local level.

Anything else you would like voters to know? The most important thing is who can be trusted to advance the America First agenda that worked for Ohio, and I’ve proven that over the past five years. I’ll be an unwavering supporter of those policies and a defender of the constitution and our God-given rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the Second Amendment, and the sanctity of life. I believe we live in the greatest country, but we need leaders who aren’t afraid to protect that greatness. I’ve also pledged to serve only two terms. Too often, Ohioans are left behind by career politicians who lose focus of why they were elected – to serve the people. I won’t ever lose sight of that. I’m also honored to have the support of many strong, conservative leaders. Sen. Rob Portman has endorsed me to take his seat, joining over 180 Ohio conservative officials, former Trump Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and many more. I will loudly and proudly stand up for Ohioans because I love this state and this country. I would be honored if you join me. You can learn more at JaneTimkenForOhio.com.

JD Vance

City: Cincinnati

Education: Ohio State University, Bachelor’s degree; Yale Law School, J.D.

Employment: Co-founder of Narya

Community involvement: U.S. Marine Corps, 2003-2007, Operation Iraqi Freedom; St. Gertrude Church in Cincinnati; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Buckeye Firearms Association member.

Why are you seeking elected office? I grew up in Middletown, Ohio, a town that was devastated by the decline of manufacturing and the rise of the opioid epidemic. Now, leaders in Middletown are doing great work to rebuild my hometown, but they need help. No community in our state will prosper unless the United States makes more of its critical goods — from computer chips to pharmaceuticals. And no community is safe so long as a wide open southern border continues to flood our streets with deadly drugs and crime. It’s time to close our border and make things in America again. I’m running to accomplish those goals.

Why should voters elect you? I’m not running for office to get rich. I’m not running because I’m desperate to have “senator” next to my name. I’m running because I don’t want my children to grow up in a declining country, and I have good ideas for how to make that a reality. All of the other candidates come from wealthy families, are political insiders, or both. I come from a family that knows what it looks like when politicians fail your community.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? My first priority is to stop the crisis at our southern border. We have more fentanyl coming across our border. This poison is killing our families, creating a generation of children without parents to raise them. My second priority is to take on China. Our leaders made a conscious decision to ship our manufacturing base overseas, so that we could buy cheap garbage to save a buck. Thirdly, but just as important as the other two, I will protect the sanctity of life. No longer can you raise a family on a single wage. Our entire society looks down upon traditional families and feeds the throw away culture that dismisses children and rewards abortion. It is time to reward marriage and families. It is time to end abortion once and for all.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? I will introduce legislation that will declare drug cartels terrorist organizations, ban illegal immigrants from accessing welfare benefits, double the number of patrol agents at the southern border and cut off funding for cities, like New York, that allow noncitizens to vote. We need to reward companies that bring back manufacturing from China and other countries with tax cuts, and impose tariffs and other financial penalties on companies that continue to ship jobs overseas. America allows some of the most barbaric abortion laws. Only seven countries in the world allow abortion after 20 weeks. This puts us in the same company as communist China, Vietnam and North Korea. I will fight to end abortion. We need to stop funding abortion providers, not just here, but across the world. We need to ensure that when young women find themselves in the terrifying position of having an unwanted pregnancy, she knows there are options and support before and after the baby is born.

Anything else you would like voters to know? Since January I have held over 40 town halls with voters, with more to come. I am the only candidate who is running a grassroots campaign focused on voters, where people can ask any question they want and have it answered. This is a theme in our campaign, but also how I think politics should work: I will never put the interests of special groups and corporate moguls ahead of normal Americans. Together we can take down the Big Tech oligarchs, secure our southern border, bring back manufacturing jobs and protect innocent life. We just need to send Republicans with character and courage to Washington. Come out and meet me in person at one of those town halls. I’m looking forward to seeing all of our voters, whatever their background. And I look forward to earning your vote!