On Politics

Wed Mar 20 2024

Sudiksha Kochi | Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter

@KochiSudiksha

Hey OnPolitics readers! The lineup is set for Ohio's high-stakes U.S. Senate is set race after businessman Bernie Moreno won the Republican primary Tuesday. He will face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall.

Moreno defeated state Sen. Matt Dolan and Secretary of State Frank LaRose with more than 50% of the vote, the USA Today Network's Haley BeMiller reported. Now, Republicans say they'll unite to tackle an even loftier mission: Unseating Brown. The three-term senator is one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country, and Republicans want to flip Ohio in their quest for control of the upper chamber.

Here are some takeaways from the race:

👑 Trump remains kingmaker for Ohio Republicans: Moreno was largely unknown in Ohio outside of the Cleveland area. That made Trump's endorsement of Moreno in December a bit of a gamble. In the end, his win − coupled with another rebuke of traditional Republicans − allows Trump to continue claiming influence over GOP races.

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🔴 Dolan falls short for second time: Dolan turned heads when he won the support of Gov. Mike DeWine, a careful politician who doesn't often wade into primaries. The endorsement, coupled with his poll numbers, gave the impression that Dolan could give Moreno a run for his money. But it wasn't close: Dolan landed in second place with one-third of the vote.

❓ What about LaRose? LaRose's entry into the Senate race was a given after he spent years railing against Brown. He shed the perception of a traditional, even moderate Republican and began trying to appease Trump-aligned voters. It's unclear where LaRose goes from here.