Republican businessman Bernie Moreno won Tuesday night’s Ohio Senate primary with support from former President Donald Trump and his allies, according to the Associated Press.
Moreno’s approval rating was 50.4%, higher than state Sen. Matt Dolan’s 32.7% and Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s 16.9%, the Associated Press reported. projected At the time of writing. The Trump-backed businessman will face vulnerable Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November in what will be one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle. (Related article: On the eve of voting, here’s where we stand in the contentious Ohio Republican primary)
“I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support of Ohioans in all 88 counties,” Moreno said in a statement. “Thank you to Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose for their spirited primary campaigns. I look forward to working to unite our party and send Sherrod Brown packing in November.”
LaRose held a steady lead in the primary until the race began to heat up in December. according to Go to FiveThirtyEight’s survey summary. Mr. Moreno took the lead on March 1, but Mr. Dolan surged in the second half just before Election Day, leaving the two men almost tied on average.
“I am honored and humbled by the thousands of Ohioans who have worked with me on this campaign. I am deeply grateful to those who have made this happen,” LaRose said in a statement. “Now is the time to come together as a party. Earlier, I called Bernie Moreno to congratulate him and wish him well. We share the same mission to restore voices and values. The stakes in this election could not be higher.”
Moreno acknowledged significant support from prominent Republicans aligned with Trump, including Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. Dolan and larose It received the bulk of its support from state and local leaders. Dolan said this a few days before voters went to the polls. scored Endorsed by Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
playing cards On Tuesday, he won the Republican presidential primary in Ohio with 79.2% support, making him the president. joe biden According to the Associated Press, the party’s approval rating was 87%.
Moreno and Dolan are running in the 2022 Republican primary. sheet The seat is currently held by Vance, who placed third in the state Senate. The businessman withdrew from the campaign before the vote was cast.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 3: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Dolan addresses the media after losing to J.D. Vance during the election night watch party at the Tavern of Independence. (Nick Antaya/Getty Images)
The campaign was costly, as Republicans fought primarily over border policy, abortion restrictions, and funding for Ukraine. Approximately $54 million has been spent on advertising for the Senate race, including $19.1 million promoting Dolan, $15 million promoting Moreno, and $5.5 million promoting LaRose. according to Data collected by AdImpact.
Mr. Dolan had been in the race the longest and had out-earned and out-spent any other Republican. according to Based on Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. Moreno I followed closely behind Dolan, but laroseThe last person to jump in the race fell behind both.
Mr. Dolan and Mr. Moreno had about $2.4 million in the bank by the first day, according to FEC data, while Mr. LaRose reported less than $600,000 in hard dollars.
Moreno will have to compete with Brown’s huge fundraising advantage. That’s because he’s already brought in $26.7 million this cycle and has $13.5 million in cash on hand. according to to FEC data. The senator also reported spending $16.6 million.
cook political report characterize The 2024 Senate races will be held in a “toss-up” category, as well as seats currently held by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
In Ohio, Republican state Rep. Derek Mellin won his primary race against former state Rep. Craig Riedel. vulnerable Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Capture said in November, according to To AP.Merrin had President Trump. backingsimilarly support From House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from Moreno and LaRose and the latest results.
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or our partnership, please contact us at [email protected].
