Ohio GOP Senate hopeful Bernie Moreno raises $4 million in third quarter
October 03, 2023 12:30 PM
Bernie Moreno’s Ohio Senate campaign has raised more than $4 million in the third quarter, which includes more than $3 million of his own money.
Moreno, a wealthy businessman, is running for the Republican nomination along with state Sen. Matt Dolan and Secretary of State Frank LaRose in a bid to unseat vulnerable incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
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Moreno, who announced he had roughly $5 million in cash on hand, initially competed in the 2022 Ohio Senate primary before withdrawing and endorsing Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH). During that campaign, he contributed more than $3 million out of his own pocket. He raised nearly $2.3 million in the second quarter.
Former President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement in the race but has said positive things about the Ohio Senate hopeful. An ad used by Moreno includes Trump saying, “We love Ohio and we love Bernie Moreno.” In a post on Truth Social in April, Trump encouraged Moreno to run, saying he would “not be easy to beat.” Meanwhile, Moreno has endorsed Trump for president in 2024.
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Vance and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) have endorsed Moreno, but Republican leadership has largely stayed out of the race.
The GOP strategy to take back the Senate has mostly relied on the recruitment of wealthy candidates who are able to self-fund their campaigns. Other Republicans who have the ability to self-fundraise are Gov. Jim Justice in West Virginia, David McCormick in Pennsylvania, and Tim Sheehy in Montana.