Senate race: Dolan fires shots, Brown gets boost, J.D. Vance feuds with LaRose

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio’s race for U.S. Senate continues to develop as the Republican primary on March 19 looms.

State Sen. Matt Dolan, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and businessman Bernie Moreno are in a heated Republican primary that has included personal insults, financial disputes and an endorsement by former President Donald Trump. The GOP nominee will run against incumbent Sherrod Brown in November.

Here are developments from the past week.

Dolan takes shots at opponents

Dolan, who has mostly avoided going after his Republican opponents, recently took a new approach. On the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol, he condemned the attack and his opponents’ responses to it.

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“Efforts to rewrite or minimize the events of January 6 mean we’re destined to repeat them,” Dolan said in a statement. “We cannot allow that to happen. Violence is never acceptable. Bernie Moreno and Frank LaRose perpetuate conspiracy theories and embrace reinvention as an art form. You have no business serving in the U.S. Senate if you disrespect those sworn to protect it.”

A release from Dolan’s campaign highlighted his opponents’ inconsistencies on Jan. 6 and the 2020 presidential election in which Trump lost his reelection bid to President Joe Biden. One example included deleted tweets from Moreno that condemned claims the election was fraudulent and called Jan. 6 rioters “morons” and “mentally unstable” before changing tune after his campaign began. Another showed LaRose saying in 2018 that claims of voter fraud hurt democracy before saying that “Trump is right to say voter fraud is a serious problem” in 2022.

New ad for LaRose

Leadership for Ohio, a super PAC backing LaRose, began airing an ad that highlights the candidate’s military service. The ad referred to LaRose as a “battle-tested border warrior” and a “conservative warrior for America”.

“When I take the oath to serve in the United States Senate, just like I did as a solider, my first priority is to American security,” LaRose says in the ad.

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A disclaimer was included to state the ad was not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Endorsements for Moreno

The candidate who earned Trump’s endorsement picked up more endorsements last week. Moreno received endorsements from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. Jordan, arguably the most prominent of the three, explained his reasoning.

“His perspective, his grit and his conservative values will serve Ohio well in the U.S. Senate,” he said in a statement.

Jordan’s endorsement came with controversy. The hardline conservative has been followed by decades of controversy, including for his actions as a former Ohio State wrestling coach and during the Capitol riots.

Brown receives boost

Last Monday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced it is making an eight-figure investment to strengthen campaign staff in Ohio and Montana, two states that are in the midst of hotly contested races. Brown and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, both seeking reelection, are two of the Republicans’ top targets.

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This move shows how Democrats are prioritizing Ohio. This election will determine which party holds a majority in the U.S. Senate for the next two years, and Brown is poised to receive a huge push.

On Friday, Brown’s campaign announced he had raised $6.6 million in the last quarter of 2023.

Vance rebuts LaRose

Conservative political news site Human Events reported on a leaked recording in which a voice that allegedly belonged to LaRose accused Moreno and Sen. J.D. Vance of “dirty insider politics,” suggesting the two cut an endorsement deal.

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After the audio was leaked, Vance took to social media. The Republican, who won his seat in 2022, referred to the comments as “utter b——-” in an X post.

“Career politician Frank LaRose will lie through his teeth to get power,” Vance wrote.

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