U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Republican of Ohio, poses with former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the Buckeye Value PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16, 2024 Give a speech in front of the stage.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
Donald Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno He will win Ohio’s Republican Senate primary and set up a high-stakes race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November, according to NBC News.
“What we have to do now as a completely united party is understand that we have a mission, and that is to get rid of Sherrod Brown,” Moreno said in a victory speech Tuesday night in suburban Cleveland.
Moreno’s primary opponent is state Sen. Matt Dolan, who has the backing of Ohio’s popular Republican governor. mcdewin early last week. Secretary of State Frank LaRose was also on the ballot, but he was outfunded by his wealthier rival and firmly in third place.
Moreno’s victory sends an early message this election year: Trump’s MAGA seal of approval could have power in 2024 that it didn’t have just a few years ago.
“I wear it with honor. My recognition of the president, but coming from President Trump, I wear it with a badge of honor,” Moreno said.
In 2020, Trump lost the White House to President Joe Biden and the Republican Party lost both houses of Congress. In 2022, although Republicans narrowly took back the House of Representatives, many Trump-backed candidates performed poorly in key races.
With that spotty record still fresh in people’s minds, the Ohio race is being positioned as a test of whether the former president’s support can once again sway the Republican establishment in this election year.
The success of Moreno, 57, an entrepreneur with little political experience who makes a living as a luxury car dealer and blockchain investor, over career politician Dolan bolsters Trump’s comeback argument.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump greets Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno during a rally at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16, 2024.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
With Tuesday’s primary now a thing of the past, Moreno’s campaign now shifts to general election mode as Republicans count on him to unseat Senator Brown and help regain control of the Senate.
Republicans are already confused by Moreno’s ability to flip Democratic seats.Especially after the backlash he faced Associated Press report His email address was linked to an account from 2008 on a casual sex website that was looking for “men for one-on-one sex.”
Moreno’s attorney later issued a statement saying one of Moreno’s former interns created the account as a prank.
Democratic political action committees spent millions on ads aimed at boosting Moreno in the days leading up to the Senate race, reflecting Democrats’ belief that Brown would have an easier time defeating Moreno than Dolan in November.
Ohio has grown redder over the past few election cycles, with Trump winning the state in 2016 and 2020. Republicans have been seeking to capitalize on a red wave in the Buckeye State to help the party regain control of the Senate.
“Ohio may be one of the states that determines who controls the U.S. Senate,” Gov. Mike DeWine said Sunday. “So there’s a lot at stake in this election.”
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
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