Democratic Group Launches TV Ad in Ohio Senate Primary to Highlight Conservative Credentials of Trump-Endorsed Candidate
A Democratic group, Duty and Country, is making waves in the Republican Senate primary in Ohio with a new television spot aimed at promoting the conservative credentials of Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland-area businessman who has received an endorsement from former President Donald J. Trump.
The ad, which is set to run across the state in the final week of the primary, criticizes Mr. Moreno as ultraconservative and too aligned with Mr. Trump. However, these critiques are likely to be viewed as badges of honor by Republican primary voters, a tactic Democrats have successfully employed in other races in recent years.
According to AdImpact, a firm that tracks advertising, Duty and Country is spending roughly $2.7 million on the ad. The group is largely funded through the Senate Majority PAC, the principal super PAC supporting Democratic efforts to maintain control of the chamber.
Mr. Moreno is facing off against State Senator Matt Dolan and Ohio’s secretary of state, Frank LaRose, for the Republican nomination. The winner will go on to challenge Senator Sherrod Brown, the Democratic incumbent.
Reagan McCarthy, communications director for Mr. Moreno, stated, “Democrats constantly underestimate the America First movement at their own peril. The same thing is going to happen to Sherrod Brown this year.”
Despite endorsements from Mr. Trump and other prominent Republicans, Mr. Moreno has struggled to pull away from his primary challengers. He won their backing by embracing hard-line conservative positions that Democrats believe could be easier to run against in a general election.
Hannah Menchhoff, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority PAC, said, “When Ohio voters head to their polling place, they deserve to know the truth about Bernie Moreno — and the truth is that Moreno is a MAGA extremist who embraced Donald Trump just like he embraced his policies to ban abortion nationwide and repeal the Affordable Care Act.”
The outcome of the Ohio Senate race is crucial as Republicans need to flip two seats to regain power if President Biden is re-elected, but just one if the White House returns to Republican hands. With Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia announcing he will not seek re-election, Republicans are already expected to gain one seat.
This strategy of highlighting conservative credentials of Republican candidates in primary races has been seen in other states, such as California and Pennsylvania, with varying degrees of success. It remains to be seen how effective it will be in the Ohio Senate primary and the general election.
