Ohio GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno with former President Trump on Saturday in Vandalia, Ohio. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
The way [Bernie Moreno] has framed his biography — and the material that he has omitted from the frame — reflects a keen awareness of the political reality in the Trump-era Republican Party in Ohio.
Moreno, who is running for U.S. Senate against Democrat Sherrod Brown, has frequently told the story of his legal immigration and rags-to-riches success in the United States.
Reality check: The New York Times recently revealed there's more to Moreno's upbringing and connections in Colombia than the narrative he projects.
"Mr. Moreno was born into a rich and politically connected family in Bogotá, where some members continue to enjoy great wealth and status," the Times reports.
Zoom in: Moreno's father was an accomplished surgeon. One of his brothers is the president and CEO of a "major construction and development conglomerate."
Another brother was the Colombian ambassador to the U.S. before being elected president of the Inter-American Development Bank.
Yes, but: The Morenos were not fabulously wealthy from the moment they arrived in the states.
Moreno's father worked as a surgical assistant, and the family of nine lived in a Fort Lauderdale apartment.
The bottom line: To appeal to Ohio's working-class voters, Moreno has downplayed his elite South American connections and emphasized his entrepreneurship and street smarts in Northeast Ohio.
