The fight for one of Ohio’s seats in the U.S. Senate is tight, with polls projecting small margins between the Democratic incumbent and his Republican opponent.
Democrat Sherrod Brown is running for his fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
His opponent is Republican Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman who had former President Donald Trump’s backing in the GOP’s competitive March primary.
The two are running a tight race that’s on track to be the most expensive Senate contest this cycle. The campaigns, parties and outside groups have spent more than $400 million on campaign ads, according to the campaign ad tracking firm AdImpact.
Campaign finance reports show that Brown has spent more than $80 million on the campaign as of the start of October, far eclipsing the $19 million Moreno spent in the same period. But the two began the month on an almost equal footing in terms of cash in the bank; Brown had $4.5 million while Moreno had $3.2 million.
You can follow the results of the race in the interactive below:
Who is Bernie Moreno?
Moreno is a businessman with a background in auto sales. He moved to the U.S. at age 5 from Colombia 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."
Former President Donald Trump, current Republican VP nominee JD Vance and multiple state representatives have endorsed Moreno.
In terms of issues, Moreno's campaign site lists 16 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.
He also lists other issues he considers important, like "empower parents to make education choices," and to "restore the integrity of our elections."
His website also says Moreno will "end wokeness and cancel culture" and "end socialism in America."
You can click here to see all of the issues Moreno wants to tackle.
Who is Sherrod Brown?
Brown has represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate since 2007; if re-elected, this would be his fourth term in office.
According to his biography on Senate.gov, Brown is a lifelong Ohioan who has spent his time in office "fighting for the dignity of work."
Brown lists 11 different issues on his campaign website that he vows to tackle.
Among them are protecting Medicare and Social Security programs and lowering prescription drug costs for Ohio seniors.
His campaign site also says he'll focus on "putting Ohio first," and "standing up to special interests" like Wall Street, Silicon Valley and rail lobbies following the Norfolk Southern incident in East Palestine in 2023.
Brown also vows to fight for rural communities, citing the need to ensure every family and business in Ohio has access to reliable high-speed internet and the need to provide access to affordable child care for Ohioans.
One of Brown's bigger platforms has been access to abortions and health care for women in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
You can click here to see all of the issues Brown wants to tackle.
