exclusive – cleveland – Bernie Moreno and former President Trump were the two winners in Ohio’s Republican Senate primary.
Mr. Moreno, a successful Cleveland-based business leader and major luxury car dealer, rode President Trump’s support to victory in Tuesday’s primary in an expensive and contentious race for the Republican nomination.
“I want to thank President Trump for everything he has done for me and this campaign, and for his unwavering support,” Moreno said in his victory speech.
Moreno emphasized that he spoke with the former president immediately after his predicted victory, saying he was “proud of President Trump’s support.”
Trump’s support leads Moreno to victory in Senate primary
Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno celebrates with supporters after winning the Ohio Republican Senate primary on March 19, 2024 in Cleveland. (FOX News/Paul Steinhauser)
Moreno’s victory in a heated primary contest for state Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is a race that could determine whether Republicans regain the Senate majority in November. He entered a general election showdown with Sen. Sherrod Brown, a longtime Democrat.
The Senate primary election, which was just before the end of the session, pitted the party’s MAGA/America First faction, which is centered around Trump and Moreno, against the conservative establishment that supports Dolan. It was also partly seen as a test of Trump’s enormous influence over the Republican Party.
WATCH: What Bernie Moreno told FOX News after his first win at Ohio State
Trump secured the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination last week and cruised easily to victory in Ohio’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday.
But Mr. Moreno’s victory in the competitive Senate race was perhaps a bigger victory for Mr. Trump than his wild presidential primary campaign.
Republican presidential candidate former President Trump (right) greets Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno during a rally at Dayton International Airport on March 16, 2024 in Vandalia, Ohio. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Donald J. Trump’s endorsement is the strongest endorsement in modern political history,” Moreno said in an exclusive interview with Fox News at the opening night celebration. “There’s never been anything like this before, and there probably won’t be anything like it again.”
He added that Trump’s support was “probably decisive” in winning the primary.
“I think that was a win for us.” [Trump] agenda. For an America First agenda,” he added.
Will Ohio Republicans rally after a painful primary?
Dolan did not seek Trump’s endorsement, but acknowledged, “I think it’s self-evident that Donald Trump’s support for Bernie Moreno was an important factor in Bernie’s victory.” he told reporters.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (right) greets Ohio State Senator and U.S. Senate Republican candidate Matt Dolan during a campaign event on Monday, March 18, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Trump was aiming for a repeat performance in Ohio.
Two years ago, the former president endorsed current Sen. J.D. Vance in a closely contested race for the Republican Senate nomination, leading Vance to victory in the 2022 primary a few weeks later. The primary also included Dolan and Moreno, but both dropped out months before the primary after meeting with President Trump.
Fast forward to the present day, after Dolan soared in the polls and won support from two-term Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and former Sen. Rob Portman, a veteran of the state’s Republican Party. He returned to Ohio.
At a rally outside Dayton, President Trump claimed Dolan was a “weak RINO.” [a derogatory acronym which stands for “Republicans in name only”] He then accused the state senator of trying to become “the next Mitt Romney.”
Former President Trump speaks at a Bernie Moreno rally on March 16, 2024 in Vandalia, Ohio. (Kamil Krzazinski/AFP via Getty Images)
Mr. Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate and establishment Republican senator from Utah, has been criticized by Mr. Trump and the MAGA movement.
Moreno was joined in the final stages of his campaign by two Trump allies, Vance and Arizona state Senate candidate and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
In the end, with the help of Trump and Team MAGA, Moreno won by double digits over Dolan, with LaRose trailing by three places.
Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance (left) meets with party activists on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno on March 19, 2024 in Independence, Ohio. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Moreno wasn’t the only Ohio Republican to receive Trump’s backing.
Last weekend, the former president endorsed state Rep. Derek Melin in the Republican primary for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. On Tuesday, Merrin was the projected winner against former state Rep. Craig Riedel.
Republicans hope Melin can defeat veteran Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in November after controversial candidate J.R. Majewski withdrew from the primary earlier this month.
“Donald Trump is hands down the most important supporter in Ohio,” Mike Biando, a longtime Republican strategist and veteran of Trump’s 2016 campaign, told Fox News on the eve of the Ohio primary. Ta.
“Trump is moving the numbers to help hand victory to the people he supports. That’s just a fact,” said Biundo, who has worked on multiple campaigns in Ohio. “Look at this congressman. He won his seat because of a last-minute endorsement of Trump.” . ”
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But Trump’s support record in contentious Republican primaries is not perfect.
Ryan Williams, a veteran Republican strategist and communicator, said: “This is Trump’s party, and while Trump’s support in the contested primaries has proven beneficial, It’s not the key.”
An Ohio-based Republican consultant, who requested anonymity to speak more freely, last week called the Republican Senate primary a “litmus test” of President Trump’s influence over the Republican Party.
“The real question is whether President Trump’s support still carries weight among Republican primary voters in Ohio,” the consultant said. “It’s very simple and straightforward, and ultimately I think the answer is yes.”
Fox News’ Jamie Vera, Deirdre Heavey and Brooke Curto contributed to this report.
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