Influential conservative group endorses Bernie Moreno in Ohio Senate race

The Club for Growth is supporting businessman Bernie Moreno in the Republican race to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio.

Moreno’s candidacy had already been buoyed by the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, whose backing could prove decisive as Moreno prepares for a three-way March primary. The Club’s Wednesday endorsement will help him court grassroots support, and could mean millions in outside spending for his campaign.

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“Bernie Moreno is a principled constitutional conservative with a firsthand understanding of the damage Bidenomics has inflicted on the economy and families across Ohio and the country,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh said in a statement. “His perspective will be a welcome addition to the United States Senate, and we look forward to doing whatever it takes to ensure he wins the race.”

The move is something of a reversal for McIntosh, who told reporters in July he doubted the Club for Growth would endorse in the race, saying none of the candidates appeared to be a “champion for pro-growth policies.”

The organization had been hoping Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) would run, but he opted to stay in the House.

The support is even more striking because it puts the anti-tax group in alignment with Trump despite a bitter feud that emerged in the 2022 election cycle.

The Club went so far as to stand up a separate PAC in July aimed at targeting Trump as he pursues a second term in the White House. That effort failed to build momentum, as the former president holds a commanding lead in early voting states.

The endorsement is a blow to another Senate candidate, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who, despite leading in early polling, is up against two deep-pocketed contenders in the Republican primary.

Moreno, who made his fortune as a luxury car dealer turned blockchain executive, has already spent millions on television ads, as has state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians.

The Club for Growth could tip the scales further against LaRose in Ohio, as it spent tens of millions on behalf of its endorsed candidates in the 2022 election cycle.

Ohio is one of three states Republicans consider to be their top pickup opportunities, the others being West Virginia and Montana.

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Republicans stand a strong chance of flipping West Virginia after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced his retirement in November, but they will need a second pickup to guarantee control of the Senate if the party fails to win the White House in 2024.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is remaining neutral in the Ohio Senate race despite taking a more active role in other primaries, reasoning that all three candidates could beat Brown in the fall.