Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), the third highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, endorsed Bernie Moreno in the Ohio Senate primary Tuesday ahead of a competitive battle to flip a key seat.
Barrasso expressed his support for Moreno, saying the Ohio Senate hopeful will “help make America stronger and safer,” Politico reported.
This is Moreno’s third big endorsement, with former President Donald Trump advocating the businessman last year in a Truth Social post.
“Remember, we need a successful political outsider like Bernie to defeat Liberal career politician Sherrod Brown, who has so poorly represented Ohio,” Trump said in the post.
Club for Growth, a limited-government advocacy group, also recently endorsed Moreno in addition to Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Moreno, a former Ohio-based car dealer and businessman, announced his campaign in April 2023. The political outsider is pitted against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan, with the primary winner set to challenge Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Barrasso’s endorsement for Moreno could also work to his benefit, with his support for Trump and Republican candidates putting him in a strong position to take on future leadership contests.
Republicans have been relying on self-funded candidates like Moreno to help flip the seat in the upcoming elections in order to secure the Senate next year.
Besides Ohio, Republicans are also targeting Democratic seats in Montana, West Virginia, and Michigan. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Brown are widely considered to be the most vulnerable senators this cycle after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced he is not seeking reelection.
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Brown has represented Ohio in the Senate since 2007, but the state has trended more conservative during his time in office, leaving the liberal outside the mainstream.
“Bernie Moreno is built for Ohio. His story is Ohio’s story,” Barrasso said in his endorsement. “Hard work, grit, and drive to build a family and a successful small business.”