The potentially game-changing Ohio Senate race is set — Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno (R) will face three-term incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) after securing the GOP nomination on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Ohio is seen as a crucial Senate race that could ultimately determine control of the upper chamber. It’s expected to be an expensive and intense campaign, especially as the Senate has teetered with razor-thin margins on both sides of party control in recent years.
The background: Former President Trump endorsed Moreno in the race over two other Republicans. But Democrats, sensing the far-right MAGA candidate would be more vulnerable than a more mainstream opponent, also helped boost Moreno’s candidacy.
A political action committee aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spent millions on ads to promote Moreno.
Where things stand: A poll conducted earlier this month before the primary election that surveyed Democratic and Republican registered voters showed Brown leading all three candidates in hypothetical matchups.
For Brown vs. Moreno, the speculative race clocked in at 38 percent to 34 percent, respectively. In the primary, Moreno claimed about 50 percent of the vote, so nearly half of GOP voters preferred one of the other more moderate candidates.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has deemed the race a “toss up.”
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