Trump-Backed Candidate Celebrates Victory

(UnitedVoice.com) – Republicans are hoping to take the Senate back in November. They are aggressively going after Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D) seat. A candidate backed by former President Donald Trump just won the GOP primary.

Trump’s choice for the Ohio Senate seat, Bernie Moreno, won the primary on March 19. The Cleveland businessman was born in Colombia, but raised in the US. He owns a car dealership and is a vocal supporter of the former president.

Trump commented on the race after the results were announced, saying, “THANK YOU, OHIO — MAGA.” He declared, “Trump reigns supreme in [Ohio].”

During the primary campaign, Moreno focused on illegal immigration at the Southern border. He leaned into his own history as an immigrant and stressed that migrants should be arriving in the US through legal channels. After his win, he thanked voters in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

I’m so grateful for the resounding support of Ohioans in all 88 counties. I thank Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose for a spirited primary contest. I look forward to uniting our party and working to send Sherrod Brown packing in November!

— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) March 20, 2024

The Ohio Senate race is incredibly important. Senator Brown’s seat is one of the few that’s not safe. The lawmaker represents a state that generally votes Red in national elections. However, he has represented residents since 2007, so he has a significant amount of name recognition.

Democrats ran ads in the lead-up to the Ohio primary and said they believed Moreno was the weakest Republican on the ballot. The party reportedly spent millions of dollars to help him win the primary because of that perceived weakness. However, they also told voters he’s “too conservative for” the Buckeye State. They also said he would do the former president’s “bidding,” and that’s why Trump endorsed him.

It’s undeniable that Moreno is very conservative. He has called Ukraine’s president a “dictator.” He has also expressed support for the debunked claims that the 2020 election results weren’t correct. Moreno is a hardliner on immigration and abortion.

Moreno’s position on abortion could be bad for him. Ohio is one of the states that has voted to protect abortion, adding an amendment enshrining access to the procedure into their constitution. However, Trump’s popularity could help in the down-ballot race. Only time will tell.