Hispanic businessman and GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is aiming to flip a blue Senate seat in Ohio currently held by Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who has been in office since 2007. Moreno highlighted Brown's attempts to portray himself as a moderate during election seasons, with the media providing coverage that supports this image.
Moreno believes that Brown's close association with President Biden has made him vulnerable in the upcoming election. He emphasized that Brown has not faced a well-resourced opponent with a clear contrast in policies before, especially one who is aligned with former President Trump.
Moreno recently attended a rally with Trump ahead of the Republican primary, where he will compete against State Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
In response to Democratic efforts to boost his candidacy under the assumption that he may be easier to defeat in a general election, Moreno dismissed this notion, stating that outsiders are often underestimated due to their non-political backgrounds.
When discussing the federal government's role in education, Moreno advocated for empowering parents and local communities to make educational decisions for their children. He expressed a commitment to fulfilling Ronald Reagan's promise to eliminate the Department of Education, citing the lack of a constitutional basis for federal involvement in education.
Moreno has garnered support from former President Trump, Sen. JD Vance, and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, all prominent figures in Ohio politics. The state's voters have previously backed Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Moreno moved to the United States with his family at the age of five and became a naturalized American citizen at 18, according to his campaign website.