GOP's Bernie Moreno flips Ohio Senate seat
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Republican businessman Bernie Moreno has ousted Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: The Ohio and Montana Senate seats have been viewed as the two most likely to flip in Republicans' quest to take the Senate majority.
- Both states are home to Democratic incumbents representing red states that are expected to once again handily elect former President Trump.
Follow the money: More ad dollars have flowed into Ohio than any other congressional race this cycle, with heavy investment from the crypto industry and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell-aligned groups like the Senate Leadership Fund.
The big picture: After winning the only highly competitive Senate GOP primary this year, Moreno spent much of the summer trailing Brown in the polls.
- Brown has relied on his populist brand in a state that voted for Trump by 8 percentage points in 2020. His campaign predicted he could hold the seat if Vice President Harris kept Trump's margin in the state below 8 points.
Yes, but: Moreno closed the gap in recent weeks and internal polls showed him with a comfortable lead over the incumbent — who was first elected to the Senate in 2006.
- The late momentum came despite Democratic efforts to paint Moreno as a corrupt businessman and blowback over his comments in September insinuating that abortion should not be the top issue for women over 50.
