Your guide to the 2024 primary election in Cuyahoga County
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Today is election day, and a high-profile Republican primary for the U.S. Senate — one that has become nastier and more expensive in recent weeks — will come to an end.
Why it matters: The winner will take on Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in November in a race that could swing the balance of the Senate.
The latest: Former President Trump traveled to Ohio this weekend to rally for his endorsed candidate, Bernie Moreno.
- Thanks to a late surge from state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, Moreno is seen as the only Trump-backed Senate candidate across the country at risk of losing a primary.
What they're saying: "Anybody who changes the name of the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians should not be a senator," Trump said Saturday, one of several attacks on Dolan.
By the numbers: Recent polling has shown very little breathing room between Moreno and Dolan, with Secretary of State Frank LaRose running a distant third.
- Yes, but: A significant number of voters remain undecided.
Zoom in: In Cuyahoga County, the most interesting race is between incumbent prosecutor Mike O'Malley and progressive challenger Matthew Ahn.
- O'Malley, whose recent fundraising has given him a late advantage, was unable to secure the endorsement of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party earlier this year.
- At a recent debate, Ahn critiqued O'Malley's reactive approach to crime while O'Malley critiqued Ahn's lack of leadership experience.
Between the lines: School levies are on the ballot in districts across Northeast Ohio as well.
- Residents in Brooklyn and Richmond Heights will vote on bond issues for the construction and renovation of school facilities.
Catch up quick: The Marshall Project, in collaboration with Signal Cleveland, produced a local judges guide to acquaint voters with the oft-overlooked candidates for the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas bench.