Anxiety Mounts Over Trump’s Candidate Amid Ohio’s Republican Senate Clash

The three-way Republican Senate primary in Ohio is heating up as the election looms. Concerns are growing about Trump’s preferred candidate, Bernie Moreno, a wealthy former car dealer who has never held elected office. The race for the Senate seat against Sherrod Brown sees Moreno pitted against rivals, State Senator Matt Dolan and Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

The contest has been contentious for months, with independent polls showing Dolan, a traditional conservative, gaining traction. Moreno’s campaign hopes to benefit from a last-minute visit from Trump, who cancelled a rally in Arizona due to internal concerns about Dolan’s rising popularity.

Campaign strategies have highlighted inconsistencies in Moreno’s record, while Dolan faces criticism from Moreno and his supporters for insufficient support of Trump. Not sufficiently supportive is one of the claims Moreno makes about Dolan.

The heated primary has created divisions within the Republican party and is seen as a test of Trump’s influence. The three Republicans and their supporting groups have spent over $30 million since January 2023, with Dolan outspending his rivals in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Meanwhile, incumbent Sherrod Brown’s campaign raised $5.7 million in the first two months of the year, more than the potential Republican candidates combined. Democrats are hoping to capitalize on the Republicans’ infighting, with the Ohio Democratic Party stating that the Republican candidates “are more focused on fighting each other than fighting for Ohioans.”

The ongoing contest has also drawn focus to the candidates’ personal lives. The candidates have accused each other of inconsistency, disloyalty to Trump, and shifting views on key issues. With majority voters still undecided, the fight for the Republican Senate nomination in Ohio is a tight one.