Matt Donahue, chief legal counsel to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, is running for the Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals.
The Republican is certified for the ballot in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, according to BallotReady. The 5th District covers 15 counties. To compete across the district, Donahue said he loaned his campaign committee $100,000, according to his campaign news page.
Candidate information
- Age: 46, according to Knox Pages
- Party: Republican
- Residence: Fairfield County for the past 10 years, according to his campaign website
- Education: Bachelor's degree from Bethany College (2002); juris doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law
- Family: Married to Jill Donahue, a former television news reporter who worked at stations in Mansfield, Steubenville and Dayton, according to his campaign website. They have two children.
Experience and public service
Donahue has held his current position as chief legal counsel in the governor's office since 2019, according to BallotReady. Before that, he served as section chief of the Special Prosecutions Section at the Ohio Attorney General's Office, according to his campaign website.
Earlier in his career, he worked as an associate assistant attorney general from 2011 to 2013 and as an assistant prosecutor at the Meigs County Prosecutor's Office from 2006 to 2011, according to BallotReady.
Donahue said on his campaign website that as a felony-level criminal prosecutor, he has prosecuted or supervised prosecutions in more than 55 counties across Ohio. He said he was one of the special prosecutors in the Pike County murder cases and that his team handled what he called the oldest successful cold case prosecution of the murder of a police officer in U.S. history.
He said he received awards from the FBI and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association for his prosecution work. Knox Pages reported he received the Attorney General's Outstanding Achievement Award in 2013, the Meritorious Assistant Prosecutor award from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association in 2010 and the Ohio Division of Wildlife Award of Recognition in May 2011.
Donahue said he played a major role in redistricting legal matters, including involvement in an original action at the Ohio Supreme Court, according to Knox Pages. He also said he advised on Ohio's "Heartbeat Bill" and was present when it was signed into law, and that he advised on the signing of constitutional carry and stand-your-ground legislation.
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Donahue said on his campaign website that his conservative legal philosophy led him to become a member of the Federalist Society, which he described as the national organization of conservative lawyers who have advised President Trump on U.S. Supreme Court appointments.
Criminal justice: Donahue said he is a strong defender of law enforcement and that his work as a death penalty prosecutor has emboldened his support for the death penalty, according to his BallotReady questionnaire response.
Abortion: Donahue said he is personally pro-life and believes life begins at conception, while stating he is firmly committed to ruling on cases based on the law and the Constitution, according to his BallotReady response.
Second Amendment: Donahue said on his campaign website that he is a gun owner and life member of the NRA.
Endorsements
The following endorsements are listed on Donahue's campaign endorsements page and campaign news page:
- Justin Herdman, former U.S. attorney appointed by President Donald Trump
- Jim Tressel, Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, who is also chairing Donahue's finance committee
Candidate responses in this profile come from Donahue's campaign website, his BallotReady questionnaire and Knox Pages reporting. The Powell-Olentangy Journal did not interview the candidate.
