CINCINNATI — The March 19 primary election is here, and voters will have three Republican primary candidates to choose from for U.S. Senate.
Either Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose or Bernie Moreno will face incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) at the November general election. Brown is running for his fourth term.
Dolan was the first to declare he was running for Senate, with LaRose and Moreno following. Both Moreno and Dolan tried to run for a Senate seat in 2022 but were unsuccessful, losing to J.D. Vance in 2022.
Track the latest results of the primary here:
Meet the 2024 primary candidates:
Matt Dolan
Dolan has served as a state senator since 2017, representing suburbs outside of Cleveland, as well as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Dolan, who is the son of Cleveland Guardians owner Larry Dolan, refers to himself as a "commonsense conservative leader."
On March 11, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine endorsed Dolan, saying he was the Republican party's best shot at beating Brown. Former U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R) also endorsed Dolan.
In terms of issues, Dolan has put emphasis on securing the border and providing assistance to border patrol, wanting to fully reinstate the "Stay in Mexico" policy, which President Joe Biden's administration ended in February 2021.
As a U.S. Senator, Dolan wants to uphold the Hyde Amendment, which has banned the use of any federal funds for abortions. Dolan has also voted for and co-sponsored 12 pro-life bills, according to his campaign website, including prohibiting organizations that perform abortions from receiving state funds.
Dolan has also said he plans to continue his work to support small businesses and empower Ohio job creators, having previously stopped a billion-dollar tax increase on Ohio small businesses, according to his campaign website.
Other issues Dolan has campaigned on include supporting law enforcement, standing up to China, protecting the Second Amendment and more. To see all of Dolan's campaign issues, click here.
Frank LaRose
LaRose is currently Ohio's secretary of state and a former state senator.
According to his campaign website, LaRose, a military veteran, is running "because we have a country to save." He also says he's the only candidate "who’s not out of touch with everyday Ohioan families worried about public safety and struggling in this Biden/Brown economy."
He has been endorsed by multiple state representatives, U.S. Rep Mike Turner and more.
LaRose has called immigration at the southern border "an all-out invasion," creating his own plan to tackle the border crisis. LaRose's plan is centered around finishing Trump's wall, deporting illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. during the Biden administration, reinstituting the "Remain in Mexico" agreement and more.
In terms of abortion, LaRose claims he's the only candidate with 100% pro-life voting record. He was previously endorsed by the Ohio Right to Life as a legislator and Ohio officeholder. He has previously voted to ban late-term abortions, and he voted to pass Ohio's Heartbeat Bill in 2018.
According to LaRose, more jobs have been created in Ohio under his watch as secretary of state than ever before in Ohio's history. He said he also has a record of cutting taxes for families, businesses and farmers, planning to introduce legislation to reduce burdensome red-tape regulations as U.S. Senator.
LaRose has also emphasized multiple other issues during his campaign, such as veterans care, Chinese land purchases, housing and more. You can click here to read all of LaRose's campaign issues.
Bernie Moreno
Moreno is a businessman with a background in auto sales. Moreno moved to the U.S. at age 5 from Bolivia and became a U.S. citizen at 18.
According to his campaign website, Moreno is running for Senate because "for too long, the men and women who move Ohio forward, American workers, have been left behind by career politicians like Sherrod Brown and Joe Biden."
Moreno has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Sen. Vance and multiple state representatives, among others.
Trump described Moreno as "exactly the type of MAGA fighter" that's needed in the U.S. Senate. The former president also traveled to the Dayton area on Saturday to rally for Moreno.
In terms of issues, Moreno's campaign site lists 15 different priorities public policy needs to revolve around.
Moreno said America needs to secure the southern border, revoke amnesty and "destroy" Mexican drug cartels.
He also said he wants to protect life, moms and families as a U.S. senator, aiming to ban late-term abortions.
Economically, Moreno said he wants to reduce anti-growth regulations, cut government spending and end inflation.
Other issues Moreno has emphasized include "beating Communist China," enacting term limits for members of Congress, ending "wokeness" and more. You can click here to see all of the issues Moreno wants to tackle.
