Moreno Wins Ohio Primary

Ohio businessman Bernie Moreno defeated two other candidates to earn the Republican Party nod to challenge longtime Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in November. The win elevates the candidate to a national stage and also signaled the strength of the support of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Moreno over his opponents.

Moreno defeated two more politically experienced candidates Tuesday night. He said in his victory speech that his team had “an opportunity now to retire the old commie and send him to a retirement home and save this country because that’s what we’re going to do,” referencing Brown.

“Think about it, this guy has been in office since Richard Nixon was president,” said Moreno. “This guy’s been in elected office, never had a job in the private sector, and what does he do? He says he advocates for working-class Americans.”

The nominee cited the country’s trade deficit and the shrinking of the middle class and loss of “factory after factory under his watch.”

Moreno had the support of a number of figures close to Trump, including Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R).

Proud to cast my vote today for President Trump & the man who I hope is the next U.S. Senator from Ohio, @berniemoreno. America-First is about all Americans. Landslide in November. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NVQWbRYSZc

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) March 19, 2024

Moreno ran under an ‘America First’ platform and included several high-profile rallies toward the end of the campaign. This included a campaign stop from the former president, who was greeted by a large crowd.

Trump endorsed Moreno in December, saying that he was “a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate.” Trump argued that Moreno would “always stand up to the Fascist ‘nut jobs’ and the spineless RINOS” and is a “successful political outsider.”

The former president called Brown a “Liberal career politician.”

Moreno’s opponents were Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) and state Sen. Matt Dolan (R).

Trump had a large effect on the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Ohio with his endorsement of Vance. The pick helped Vance win both the primary and the general election.