President Pro Tem Rob Dorans

First elected in 2019, Rob Dorans has dedicated himself to advocating for working families and expanding economic opportunities. Over the past five years, he has achieved significant legislative successes, including passing one of the nation’s strongest municipal wage theft laws, ensuring that employers who steal from their workers cannot do business with the city. He also updated Columbus’ responsible wage law, raising the minimum wage for city contract workers to $20 per hour. Dorans helped create and fund OpportunityPort.org, an online platform that assists Columbus residents in sealing their criminal records, helping hundreds move forward from past interactions with the justice system. Additionally, he coordinated efforts with four local hospital systems to forgive $335 million in medical debt for low-income residents and lead the passing of new zoning code changes that modernize the city's zoning for the first time in 70 years.

As chair of the Zoning Committee, Dorans played a key role in approving more than 10,000 housing units through re-zonings and variances, a 3,000-unit increase from the previous year. In 2023, his colleagues elected him President Pro Tempore of City Council, a position he was reelected to in 2024. In this role, he collaborates with the council president to shape policy and legislation for the entire body. This year, Dorans will chair both the Zoning and Workforce, Education & Labor committees, while also serving as vice-chair for the Finance and Rules & Policy committees.

Beyond his work on City Council, Dorans is the Chief Legal Counsel for ACT Ohio, a labor-affiliated nonprofit that advocates for construction workers. His efforts at ACT Ohio have helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages for workers defrauded by their employers. As a proud third-generation union member, he has been deeply involved in the legal and civic communities in Columbus as a member of the Columbus Bar Association and a graduate of its Barristers Leadership Program. Dorans has also volunteered with the Columbus Legal Aid Society and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio. To honor his efforts, he was awarded the John T. Greene Labor Award in 2024 from the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist CBTU.

Dorans earned his undergraduate degree with honors from Ohio University and his law degree from the University of Toledo. In 2023, he was named to Columbus Business First's 40 Under 40 list and was honored as a ‘Notable Alum’ by Ohio University in 2019. He and his wife, Dr. Lauren Elliott-Dorans, live in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus with their son Elliott and their rescue dog, Captain.