Republican businessman Bernie Moreno, who founded the Center for Sales of Excellence at Cleveland State University in 2019, has defeated three-time incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown 50.2% to 46.4% in a grueling race for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat.
These numbers were called by AP News and NBC News.
The results of this contest have been highly anticipated across the nation, as Brown was seen as vulnerable against his Trump-endorsed opponent from the start with the narrow Democratic senatorial majority of 51 to 49 Republicans hanging in the balance. Moreno’s victory ties the number 50 to 50 as results from other close contests, such as West Virginia, wait to be seen.
This momentous victory means Brown’s 17-year long senatorial tenure will come to an end and both of Ohio’s U.S. senators will be Republican for the first time since before Brown was elected in 2007.
The campaign trail
The campaign trial for this intense election was defined by the contenders’ fundamental policy differences on abortion.
A long-time supporter for abortions and reproductive healthcare access, Brown openly supported the 2023 state ballot initiative that enshrined abortion rights into the Ohio Constitution and throughout this campaign, has continuously criticized Moreno for his differing views on the issue.
“The Ohio constitution now, 57% of the voters said yes, essentially to restore Roe v. Wade, an Ohio constitutional amendment saying that decisions should be made by women and their doctor, period,” Brown said. “Not politicians. My opponent in this race…says he’s 100 percent for a national abortion ban with no exceptions.”
Moreno’s campaign website outlines one of his sixteen major priorities as “Protect[ing] Moms, Protect[ing] Families, and Protect[ing] Life by supporting a ban on late term abortions.”
Trangender rights and policies involving the Texas-Mexico border were also a common point of divide throughout the campaign trail, despite Brown’s attempt to show agreement with Republicans through his anti-fentanyl legislation. Moreno’s second campaign priority was to “Secure America’s borders, stop amnesty and destroy the Mexican Drug Cartels.”
Moreno’s policy agenda
Born in Columbia, Moreno has highlighted his experience immigrating to the United States when he was five years old, while also talking down “career politicians” to push his “outsider” status to the forefront. Among his 16 campaign priorities is securing the nation’s borders.
Other priorities he outlines on his campaign website include banning “late term” abortions, defending constitutional rights, “especially the Second Amendment,” cutting government spending, ending inflation, “beat[ing] Communist China,” holding “Big Tech” accountable, and supporting Israel and stopping antisemitism “especially on our college campuses.”
Moreno also seeks to restore manufacturing and energy independence, empower law enforcement, and enact term limits for Congressional members.
Echoing sentiments of other Republicans, Moreno’s agenda preaches an end to “wokeness,” “cancel culture,” and “socialism,” terms which the party has often used to brand Democrats.
Moreno will be sworn into office along with the entire newly-elected 119th U.S. Congress on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
This is a developing story. Updates will be posted as they become available.
Ele Solovyov 
csucauldron