Former President Donald Trump endorses Bernie Moreno in Ohio U.S. Senate race

Former President Donald Trump has made his pick for Ohio's 2024 U.S. Senate race.

Trump announced on Tuesday that he's endorsing Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno in the Republican primary that will determine who runs against Sen. Sherrod Brown. Brown, who is seeking his fourth term in office, is one of two Democrats defending his seat in a state Trump won in 2020.

Moreno is running for the GOP nomination against Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls. The primary is March 19.

"It's time for the entire Republican Party to UNITE around Bernie's campaign for Senate, so that we can have a BIG victory in what will be the most important election in American history," Trump posted on Truth Social.

A luxury car dealer turned blockchain executive, Moreno made a name for himself in the Cleveland area through various business ventures. He ran in the crowded 2022 Republican primary to replace former Sen. Rob Portman, but he dropped out after a private meeting with Trump. After his campaign ended, Moreno took over as Ohio chair for a national effort to impose congressional term limits.

In his post, Trump noted that Moreno's daughter married U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River, who worked for the former president before running for Congress.

"Bernie Moreno has made it clear he won’t fight for Ohioans and doesn’t understand the issues facing their daily lives," said Reeves Oyster, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. "As this primary heats up, it’s clear this slugfest is only going to get messier, nastier and more expensive from here."

How Trump endorsement could shake up Ohio Senate race

Trump's nod could provide Moreno with a much-needed boost in the final months of the race, when most Ohio voters will start paying attention in earnest. Moreno has trailed LaRose and Dolan in recent polls and doesn't have the name recognition that comes from holding public office.

In 2022, then-candidate J.D. Vance struggled to gain traction until he got Trump's backing. The Republican junior senator endorsed Moreno earlier this year.

The endorsement likely doesn't change the game plan for Dolan, who didn't seek Trump's support in this race or in 2022. Dolan presents himself as a more traditional conservative and said Monday that he talks about the former president's policies more than his opponents.

"I think as voters start looking at us, and if they are motivated by Donald Trump, I think what they're going to see in me is somebody who can execute and get things done, just like Donald Trump did," he told reporters.

LaRose, on the other hand, often touts Trump's endorsement of him for secretary of state in 2022 and suggested he could get the nod for this race. He also fired a spokesman for his office after the person's disparaging comments of Trump surfaced on social media.

"President Trump is most likely not going to endorse anybody in this race," LaRose told NBC4 on Monday. "That's what he's told me and others as it relates to this. Trump's endorsement means a lot in Ohio. If anybody's going to earn it, I believe it will be me. But I don't think he endorses in this race."

Ben Kindel, a spokesman for LaRose's campaign, said the secretary of state is "absolutely" staying in the Senate race.

"After spending millions of dollars, Bernie Moreno is still in last place and Matt Dolan is the forgotten candidate," Kindel said. "The fact remains that Frank LaRose is the battle-tested conservative that will finally retire Sherrod Brown."

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Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate race: Donald Trump endorses Bernie Moreno in GOP primary