Trump-Endorsed Bernie Moreno Wins Republican Nomination for Ohio's U.S. Senate Race

This article has been updated to include a statement from Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Bernie Moreno.

On Tuesday night, as the final polls predicted he would, businessman Bernie Moreno won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race in Ohio, meaning he'll face vulnerable Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown in what's one of the top Senate races to watch come November. Former and potentially future President Donald Trump had endorsed Moreno last December, and also rallied for him in Dayton over the weekend.

Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:31pm, just a little more than an hour after polls closed.

Decision Desk HQ projects Bernie Moreno wins the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Ohio.#DecisionMade: 8:31pm ET

Follow results here: https://t.co/PR0fXMVrdR pic.twitter.com/dxmagDPJGQ
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) March 20, 2024

Later on Tuesday night, Moreno gave remarks and also released a statement on the race.

"I am so grateful for the resounding support of Ohioans in all 88 counties," he said. "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!"

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) quickly put out a statement endorsing Moreno. The NRSC chose to not endorse a candidate in this primary, as they did in other races.

Daines called Moreno "a committed conservative who will unite Republicans first, fight for President Trump's agenda, and stand up for Ohio in the Senate." He also mentioned Moreno's status as "a political outsider," something the now nominee himself touted in his ad blitz campaign during the primary. In contrast, Daines referred to Brown as "a liberal career politician who has been running for office for 50 years."

The race had gotten ugly in the final days. Trump's rally came right after the Associated Press published a hit piece last Thursday claiming that Moreno had signed up for an account on the Adult Friend Finder site. However, as Andrew Conru, who wrote most of the code for the site posted to his X account, "there is no geolocation data tied to the account." Further, as Matt highlighted, Law Professor Jonathan Turley also addressed in a blog how the AP has opened itself up to a lawsuit.

Ohio is considered one of the "Toss-Up" Senate races in a year that looks like it could be particularly favorable to Republicans when it comes to the pickup opportunities they have, as well as the seats they are defending.

It was clear with ad spending that Dems preferred Brown to face Moreno, seen as the weakest of the trio, and the political newcomer compared to Dolan & LaRose. But #OHSen is the most vulnerable Senate seat on the 2024 map for Dems, and our @CookPolitical rating remains as Toss Up
— Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) March 20, 2024

The race has sparked considerable chatter over X, as both "Sherrod Brown" and "Moreno" have been among the trends for Tuesday night.

Brown quickly took note of and addressed Moreno's win from his own X account.

The choice ahead of Ohio is clear: Bernie Moreno has spent his career and campaign putting himself first, and would do the same if elected.

I’ll always work for Ohio.
— Sherrod Brown (@SherrodBrown) March 20, 2024

With an estimated 42 percent reporting, Moreno enjoys 47.1 percent support, compared to state Sen. Matt Dolan's 33.8 percent and Secretary of State Frank LaRose's 19.0 percent.