Who is Bernie Moreno, the GOP nominee for the Senate seat in Ohio?
(CNN) — The matchup in one of the most competitive Senate races of the year was set Tuesday, when voters chose Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall.
Posted — UpdatedMoreno is a Colombian-born, American-raised car dealership owner. He leaned into his background as an immigrant “who came here legally” and pitched himself as an “outsider” who hasn’t held political office and can unseat a three-term incumbent.
His race against Brown will be crucial to deciding which party will have control of the Senate, after defeating Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan in Tuesday’s primary.
Brown, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary Tuesday, is seeking a fourth term in a state that’s been trending red. He is one of two Senate Democrats running for reelection in a state Trump twice carried and is a top target for Republicans.
During his campaign, Moreno leaned heavily into his backing from Trump, who endorsed him in December at the urging of Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance. Along with Trump and Vance, the conservative Club for Growth also supported Moreno.
As part of a strategy by Brown allies to draw what they see as the most favorable general election matchup, Senate Democrats ran ads highlighting Moreno leading up to the Republican primary, suggesting they view Moreno as the weakest candidate against Brown.
“MAGA Republican Bernie Moreno is too conservative for Ohio. In Washington, Moreno would do Donald Trump’s bidding. That’s why Trump endorsed Moreno, calling him ‘exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate,” an ad said.
Trump was omnipresent in the Moreno campaign’s advertising.
“MAGA alert: President Trump wants you to vote for outsider businessman Bernie Moreno,” said one of the campaign’s final ads, which reminded voters just tuning in who had the most coveted endorsement in Republican primaries. “Trump endorsed Bernie Moreno for Senate.”
“I want to thank President Trump for all he did for me, for this campaign, for his unwavering support, for his love of this country,” Moreno said at his campaign’s watch party in Cleveland shortly after he was projected the winner.
The former president also made a last-minute trip to the state over the weekend to help his preferred candidate get over the finish line. The rally in support of Moreno was overshadowed by Trump’s comments that if he were to lose the 2024 election, it would be a “bloodbath” for the US auto industry and the country.
Moreno had previously been a critic of the former president. CNN’s KFile uncovered several audio clips and deleted tweets of the Senate GOP nominee harshly criticizing Trump.
He once said there was “no scenario” in which he would support Trump. He’s also called Trump a “fake Republican” who stokes “hatred and fear” and suggested that the former president’s popularity is the result of “ignorance in our society.”
Moreno was a prolific Republican donor for years before first running for Senate in 2022, when he loaned his campaign millions from his personal fortune before dropping out of the race ahead of the primary.
The businessman again poured millions from his personal fortunes into his current bid, with the latest Federal Election Commission records showing that Moreno has contributed at least $4.2 million to his campaign.
CNN’s Simone Pathe and David Wright contributed to this report.
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