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Ohio’s U.S. Senate race is set: Republican Bernie Moreno will face U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown

By Nick Evans
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump greets Ohio Republican candidate for US Senate Bernie Moreno during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on March 16, 2024 in Vandalia, Ohio. The rally was hosted by the Buckeye Values PAC.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump greets Ohio Republican candidate for US Senate Bernie Moreno during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on March 16, 2024 in Vandalia, Ohio. The rally was hosted by the Buckeye Values PAC. Scott Olson Getty Images

Republican Bernie Moreno, Donald Trump’s pick for Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, has secured the Republican nomination according to the Associated Press. The AP called the race at 8:35 p.m., but the results will remain unofficial until they’re certified in about three weeks. Moreno will face Democratic Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. Some experts have predicted that the race may be key in deciding control over the U.S. Senate in 2025.

Bernie Moreno closely aligned with former President Donald Trump

Throughout the primary race Moreno has staked out unabashedly right-wing, pro-Trump positions. One of his most popular pitches is to deport every person who is in the country illegally — a policy even his Republican opponents, state Sen. Matt Dolan and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, said would be a logistical nightmare that could damage the economy.

But Republican voters loved it. So did former President Trump, who promised the “largest deportation operation in American history” in Dayton last weekend.

Moreno also calls for labeling drug cartels terrorist organizations and eliminating birthright citizenship, which is protected under the constitution. He has voiced support for a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks and has previously described himself as “100% pro-life, no exceptions.” Despite arguing for federal legislation limiting abortion he dismissed the idea of federal protections for IVF, after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling put the procedure in limbo.

How Donald Trump’s endorsement helped Bernie Moreno

Moreno’s victory reiterates the power of Trump’s endorsement among Ohio Republicans.

In the 2022 U.S. Senate race, Trump’s backing helped Republican Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance distinguish himself in a crowded Republican field.

If recent polling is to be believed, a Trump rally over the weekend in Dayton gave Moreno a late — and crucial — boost ahead of election day. Prior to Trump’s intervention, polling from Emerson College suggested Dolan held a narrow lead, with almost a third of Republicans still undecided. After the Dayton rally, though, Moreno’s share of respondents jumped 15 points.

Read more Ohio Capital Journal stories here.

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