Republican Bernie Moreno has just turned around the Ohio Senate race, managing to win a highly coveted seat from incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.
Republican businessman Moreno, who ran because of his close ties to Donald Trump, defeated the three-term senator.
Brown’s defeat helped propel Republicans to a new majority in the Senate.
Brown was first elected to the Senate in 2006, but his reelection in 2012 and 2018 came in election years in which Democrats had some momentum, first with Obama on the ticket and then in the midterm backlash against Trump. .
The senator ran with a focus on reducing costs for working families, as well as protecting women’s health care and reproductive rights.
Republican Bernie Moreno Just Flipped Ohio Senate Race
He had strong support from the unions and contact with union members as well as more moderate Republicans, as he needed some support from the GOP to help him cross the finish line.
During the campaign, he described his opponent as an extremist who was in the pockets of special interests and who would give tax breaks to large corporations at the expense of workers.
Moreno had Trump’s backing ahead of what was a close Republican Senate primary.
The businessman, an immigrant from Colombia who once owned car dealerships, argued that immigration was the biggest problem in the race.
While Brown was in favor of the bipartisan immigration deal, he was against and supported the mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants in the country.
As the race entered the home stretch, polls showed Brown’s lead slowly diminishing, but he maintained a small lead in the polling average.
Senator Sherrod Brown campaigning at a rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 5, 2024.
Republican businessman Bernie Moreno speaking during a bus stop in Columbus on October 28.
One issue that was difficult for Moreno to navigate in the race was abortion rights, as it has been a motivating issue for women and Democrats.
Brown ran to protect access to abortion and fertility treatments since the overturning of Roe v Wade.
Ohio voters approved a ballot initiative protecting abortion access in the state last year.
Moreno previously backed a 15-week federal abortion ban but withdrew it during the general election, saying the issue should be left to the states.
However, Moreno found himself in trouble after he was recorded making controversial comments about women over fifty and abortion in September.
In the video, Moreno criticized women voting on a single issue regarding abortion, calling it “a little crazy” and “especially for women who are over 50.”
Even some Republicans, including Nikki Haley, criticized him for his comments. His campaign claimed he was joking, but the comment appeared in a series of ads and trended online.
The Ohio Senate race was the most expensive Senate race of the 2024 election season, with more than $440 million spent on advertising.