Republican · Ohio's 3rd District · 2026
Cleophus Dulaney
Dulaney is a single father and retired small business owner whose working life has included furniture retail and operations management.
Biography
Cleophus Dulaney is a father of three daughters who has described raising them as a single parent.1 In his 2020 candidate questionnaire, he named the Bible as both a favorite book and a political influence.2 Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, he took his first job at fifteen in a shoe store in Hartford, Connecticut, and worked there for two years.2
His working background includes owning furniture businesses in Columbus.3 In September 2026, NBC4 reported that state business records listed two furniture companies and a home flooring business associated with him.3 His campaign biography also describes outreach to people experiencing homelessness and work encouraging young people.4
Dulaney ran in the Third District's 2020 Republican primary but lost to Mark Richardson.3 He is now the Republican nominee challenging Democratic incumbent Joyce Beatty.1 He has said he spent more of his life as a Democrat than a Republican before becoming frustrated with the Democratic Party.3
Housing is prominent in his current agenda, including concerns about gentrification, property taxes and home improvement grants.5 He also calls for better relations between neighborhoods and police and rehabilitation for opioid addiction.5 His campaign supports Medicare negotiation of prescription drug prices, investments in manufacturing and apprenticeships, and easier access to capital for small businesses.6
Record and controversies
Dismissed Capitol charges
In February 2024, Dulaney was charged with felony offenses including assaulting, resisting or impeding officers during the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.7 Prosecutors alleged that he helped push a bike rack barricade into police officers.7 NPR's case inventory records that the court granted the government's motion to dismiss the case with prejudice on January 22, 2025.8 In September 2026, he described the trip as a peaceful protest and told NBC4 that violence was not what they did.3