NEWS
November 13, 2025
Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel Endorses Conservative Republican Matt Donahue For Fifth District Court Of Appeals
FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO –– Conservative Republican and veteran prosecutor Matt Donahue today announced the endorsement of Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel in his campaign for Judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeals. Tressel, a conservative leader and former Ohio State University football coach, will also serve as Chairman of Donahue’s Finance Committee.
“I’ve gotten to know Matt Donahue well and have come to deeply respect his exceptional legal ability and unwavering commitment to justice,” said Lieutenant Governor Tressel. “Matt is a proven conservative prosecutor who has taken on the toughest cases across Ohio. Like me, Matt is a man of faith, and I know he’ll defend the Constitution. I’m proud to endorse him and to chair his finance committee to help elect his strong conservative voice to the Court of Appeals.”
To ensure the campaign has the resources needed to compete across the expansive 12-county Fifth District, Donahue also announced that he’s loaned his campaign committee $100,000.
“As a conservative Republican, I’m fully committed to running a strong, grassroots campaign that reaches every corner of this expansive district,” Donahue said. “This personal investment ensures we can communicate our message of upholding the law, the Constitution, and conservative principles without compromise. With Lieutenant Governor Tressel’s leadership and support, we’ll build the team needed to win and deliver conservative judicial leadership for Ohio families.”
Donahue, a former Assistant Prosecutor in Meigs County, Section Chief in the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section, and Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Mike DeWine, has prosecuted or supervised cases in 55 Ohio counties. A member of the Federalist Society, Life Member of the NRA, and personally pro-life, Donahue is running to bring his conservative legal philosophy to the Fifth District Court of Appeals.