Sherrod Brown’s long-held U.S. Senate seat is being challenged by Trump-backed Republican candidate Bernie Moreno.
Brown (D) has held his position as senior Senator of Ohio since 2007. Before taking that office, he has been a representative for Ohio’s 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007. He was the secretary of the state of Ohio from 1983 to 1991. He began his political career as an Ohio state representative in 1975.
After an endorsement from Donald Trump in 2023, Moreno entered the Senate race. Before his career in politics, Moreno owned a Mercedez-Benz dealership in the Cleveland area. Moreno had worked for General Motors in Michigan and Boston before relocating to Ohio.
Moreno has gained momentum because of his endorsement from former President Trump and has built his platform on ideas such as defending the Second Amendment, securing the American border and “ending wokeness and cancel culture.”
Brown’s platform, on the other hand, discusses issues like equal rights, fighting for rural Ohioans and working on modernizing transportation.
Critics have called Brown “too liberal” for Ohio considering it has voted red for the past two presidential elections. Moreno leaning more into stances that reflect Trump’s policies for the country has bolstered his running with the Republican areas of Ohio.
Political ads for and against both candidates have been rampant, specifically for the Senate race. Millions of dollars have been spent on both sides for ads spots throughout Ohio.
According to the Dayton Daily News, fact-checkers have called out Moreno’s campaign for airing ads with false claims on multiple occassion. Some of these false claims included saying that Brown had voted to give illegal immigrants stimulus checks and healthcare, paid for by American tax-payer money. Another ad has circulated that Brown voted to allow men to compete in women’s sports, which has also been proven false.
Polls have shown the two neck and neck throughout the race.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting hours are located on the Shelby County Board of Elections website which includes polling places based on residence.
Reach Sidney Daily News reporter Anna Edmiston at 937-538-4825.
