By JULIE CARR SMYTH (Associated Press)
Things went in favor of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday in two important Ohio elections that could impact their ability to gain crucial seats in the fall and increase their influence in Washington.
In the tough and costly competition to challenge Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall, voters selected Bernie Moreno, who was supported by Trump, over state Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. In northwest Ohio, state Rep. Derek Merrin won against former state Rep. Craig Riedel just a day after receiving Trump's endorsement. Merrin will compete against long-serving U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in the general election in November.
Both Brown and Kaptur are considered to be among the most vulnerable Democrats this year, given Ohio's recent right-leaning political shift. With Democrats having a small voting advantage in the Senate and Republicans holding a narrow margin in the U.S. House, these races have already attracted significant attention from national party leaders.
During his speech in Cleveland after winning, Moreno praised Trump and also commended Dolan and LaRose for their well-run campaigns. He urged the party to unite to defeat Brown.
Moreno told a supportive crowd, "We now have the opportunity to retire the old commie, and send him to a retirement home and save this country, because that’s what we’re going to do."
He referred to Brown as President Joe Biden’s “absolute enabler” in the Senate and as liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s "lapdog."
Brown responded to the news on X: "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."
The general election battle is anticipated to be intense in a state that has leaned towards Republicans in recent years. With Democrats holding a delicate 51-49 voting advantage in the Senate but defending more seats than Republicans, Brown's seat is expected to be a top target for the GOP. He is the only Democrat holding a non-judicial statewide office in Ohio, a state that has gradually moved to the right during the Trump era.
The Senate Majority PAC, an independent group aligned with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, spent $2.7 million in a bipartisan criticized move to boost Moreno’s primary campaign, with the aim of positioning him as the weakest opponent against Brown in the fall.
Abortion rights are expected to be a central focus of Brown's campaign. Following the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling against the constitutional right to an abortion, Ohioans strongly supported a state constitutional amendment last year to safeguard access to the procedure.
Moreno, a former luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur, faced controversy late in the campaign.
Last week, the Associated Press reported that in 2008, someone using Moreno’s work email account created a profile on an adult website seeking “Men for 1-on-1 sex.” The AP could not definitively confirm that it was created by Moreno himself. Moreno’s lawyer stated that a former intern created the account and provided a statement from the intern, Dan Ricci, who said he created the account as “part of a juvenile prank.”
People in GOP circles have been discussing concerns about Moreno's profile for the last month. This has caused frustration among senior Republican operatives about Moreno’s possible weakness in a general election. Seven people who are aware of these discussions requested to remain anonymous to avoid upsetting Trump and his allies.
Moreno, a native of Bogota, Colombia, who partly funded his own campaign, won the election by presenting himself as a political outsider who, like Trump, would bring change to Washington. He and allied political action committees criticized Dolan and LaRose as “career politicians.” Moreno made his money in luxury auto sales and blockchain technology in Cleveland.
As LaRose struggled to find a way forward after failing to win Trump’s endorsement, Dolan worked to unite the party’s non-Trump faction in his favor leading up to Election Day. His efforts were bolstered by endorsements from Gov. Mike DeWine and former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, two of Ohio’s most prominent establishment Republicans.
LaRose, a former state senator and Green Beret elected twice statewide, received more grassroots donations of $200 or less than either of his rivals. He loaned himself $250,000, compared to $4.2 million Moreno loaned his own campaign and a whopping $9 million Dolan loaned to his.
Both Moreno and Dolan were also involved in the 2022 Senate race, which was a messy and crowded contest ultimately won by Trump-backed memoirist and venture capitalist JD Vance. Moreno withdrew from the primary at Trump’s request; Dolan finished third. Vance went on to win the general election that year against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.
Republicans were also keeping an eye on the GOP matchup in the 9th Congressional District held by Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in Congress.
Trump’s endorsement of Merrin on Monday was the final surprise in a months-long contest that included sudden entries and exits, candidate mistakes, and changing endorsements. At one point, Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Rep. Jim Jordan, a strong Trump ally, were aligned with three competing campaigns.
The situation calmed down when Trump-aligned candidate J.R. Majewski, who was defeated by Kaptur in 2022, abruptly dropped out of the race earlier this month following criticism for making disparaging comments about Special Olympics athletes.
This left three candidates in the race: Merrin, supported by Johnson and, as of Monday, Trump; Riedel, supported by Jordan; and former Napoleon Mayor Steve Lankenau. Trump’s endorsement came as Riedel was airing harsh attack ads against Merrin, referencing the legislator’s connections to convicted former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
Merrin, 37, is a fourth-term state representative limited by term who led a rebellion within the Ohio House last year after losing a bitter battle for speaker. He joined the congressional race on the filing deadline after audio surfaced of Riedel criticizing Trump, raising concerns within the party about Riedel’s ability to win.
Riedel, 57, was among candidates who lost the nomination to Majewski in 2022. He raised more than $1.1 million heading into primary day, the highest among all candidates and about 10 times more than Merrin. However, Merrin has received support from national Republicans, with the Congressional Leadership Fund spending over $750,000 on his behalf.
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