Ohio’s primary is on March 19, but there have been last-minute shenanigans that are both frustrating and unbelievable. The Democrats launched a zero-hour ad blitz against Bernie Moreno, the frontrunner in the GOP Senate's primary, including Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Sen. Matt Dolan. Things have tightened up ahead of Election Day next week. The shambolic race to the finish probably led to Democrats meddling in the race in a state that is no longer reliably Democratic (via NYT):
A Democratic group is wading into the Republican Senate primary in Ohio with a new television spot aimed at promoting the conservative credentials of Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland-area businessman who has been endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump.
The spot criticizes Mr. Moreno as ultraconservative and too aligned with Mr. Trump. But by running the ad in the final week of the primary, those critiques are likely to be viewed as badges of honor by Republican primary voters, a tactic Democrats have employed in other races in recent years.
A group called Duty and Country is spending roughly $2.7 million on the ad, which is set to run across the state, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks advertising.
The group is funded largely through the Senate Majority PAC, the principal super PAC supporting Democratic efforts to maintain control of the chamber.
Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown was elected during the 2006 blue wave. The Buckeye State has shifted into becoming solid Trump country since then. In a state like Arizona, boosting the Trump-endorsed candidate for an easier general election win might be a gamble worth taking—not so sure about Ohio, where the former president won handily in 2016 and 2020. Also, Moreno doesn't appear to be someone who goes off half-cocked like some candidates out West, entertaining and feisty as they may be.
Yet, right now, the Ohio GOP field has entered the World War III phase, with a ridiculous smear directed at Moreno, who was the center of an embarrassing story concerning his email address being linked to an old Adult Friend Finder from 2008. Meanwhile, if Ohio Republicans want to avoid being conned into backing someone who will keep us in endless war territory, they might want to avoid Mr. Dolan, and we can thank his supporter, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, for exposing the whole show concerning how the Ohio state senator feels about Ukraine:
RINO Ohio Senate candidate Matt Dolan thinks that working with Biden to send billions to Ukraine is more important than stopping the invasion of illegals at our own border.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 8, 2024
Dolan puts Ukraine First and America Last! pic.twitter.com/wi8jYfhi2O
Gov Mike DeWine elaborates on why he's backing Matt Dolan in Senate race
— Darrel Rowland (@darreldrowland) March 13, 2024
"I think all three of them can win in the fall. But I think he is in a much stronger position, frankly"
Also, the Cleveland state senator "is more focused on national security," such as voting on Ukraine aid pic.twitter.com/kP2odXV4Je
So, Dolan is Mitch McConnell on this subject: Screw the southern border but give blank checks to Ukraine in perpetuity. With immigration becoming a top voter issue, I'm not sure this is the position any Republican wants to take in this cycle. Regarding the Republican base, contrary to what Senate Republican leadership has said, Ukraine isn’t a top priority with GOP voters. We want the Ukraine money to stop and those funds to be redirected here. It looks like Dolan is another rubber stamp to Biden’s Ukraine quagmire, so if you’re a Buckeye Republican who's sick of the Kyiv caucus and wants border security, ditch Dolan next week.