Current:Home > ContactOhio Gov. Mike DeWine bypasses Trump-backed Bernie Moreno with US Senate primary endorsement -Mastery Money Tools
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine bypasses Trump-backed Bernie Moreno with US Senate primary endorsement
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:06:36
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio parted ways with Donald Trump on Monday and endorsed state Sen. Matt Dolan over Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno in the state’s three-way GOP primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
In breaking ranks with the former president, DeWine called Dolan the party’s best shot at defeating Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in November.
Brown is viewed as one of the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats seeking reelection this fall, while Dolan has cast himself as a moderate Republican and the only candidate in his primary who didn’t actively seek Trump’s endorsement.
In a letter to fellow Ohioans, DeWine and his wife Fran urged them to vote for Dolan. They praised Dolan for his “service, experience, and integrity,” and wrote: “He listens. He fights. And, he knows how to get results for Ohio.”
DeWine’s decision highlights continued divisions between establishment Republicans in the one-time battleground state and the party’s increasingly dominant pro-Trump flank, which twice chose him for president by strong margins. Ohio’s state GOP was the first in the nation to endorse Trump for president this year.
Only about two weeks ago, DeWine told reporters he didn’t plan any endorsement in the GOP primary, which also features Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, his fellow state officeholder. But that was before the March 19 primary edged ever closer with no apparent runaway leader and a large swath of Republican voters still undecided.
Moderate former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman similarly weighed in late in the contest, endorsing Dolan on Friday.
DeWine’s move is less likely to hurt Moreno, who has campaigned heavily on the Trump endorsement, than LaRose, a former Green Beret and second-term state officeholder who has been working to carve out a winning lane in the race.
LaRose frequently points out that Moreno and Dolan are millionaires, having self-funded their campaigns to the tune of a combined $10 million, while he is merely a “thousandaire.” Moreno made his fortune in Cleveland, first building a luxury auto sales business and later in blockchain technology, which generates “blocks” of information or transactions into ledgers that are secure and transparent. Dolan’s family owns baseball’s Cleveland Guardians.
Moreno campaigned Monday throughout central Ohio with Trump-backed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. He’s also enjoyed support on the campaign trail from other big-name Trump allies, including Donald Trump Jr. His endorsements also include Ohio’s Trump-backed Republican U.S. Sen. JD Vance, pro-Trump fighter U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
But DeWine’s decision suggested such conservative backing may not be enough against Brown, a three-term senator who’s been one of the state’s most reliably elected politicians for decades.
DeWine, too, has such a legacy — having served as a former state legislator, congressman, U.S. senator and lieutenant governor. He won reelection by a 25% margin in 2022, carrying 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Republicans view Brown, among the most liberal members of the Senate, as particularly vulnerable this year because of the unpopularity of the same-party president, Joe Biden, and Ohio’s tack to the political right in recent years.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Crew of NASA’s earthbound simulated Mars habitat emerge after a year
- Taylor Swift sings love mashup for Travis Kelce in Amsterdam during Eras Tour
- Tour de France standings: Race outlook after Stage 9
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- A green flag for clean power: NASCAR to unveil its first electric racecar
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Slow Burn (Freestyle)
- DeMar DeRozan joining Sacramento Kings in trade with Bulls, Spurs, per report
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Warriors' Steve Kerr thanks Klay Thompson for '13 incredible years'
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Connecticut officials warn beachgoers of nesting shorebirds as they announce some park area closures
- Alcaraz and Sinner both reach Wimbledon quarterfinals and are 1 match away from another meeting
- Two boys shot in a McDonald’s in New York City
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Jon Landau dies at 63: James Cameron, Zoe Saldana honor 'Avatar,' 'Titanic' producer
- WWE Money in the Bank 2024 results: Winners, highlights, analysis
- More records expected to shatter as long-running blanket of heat threatens 130 million in U.S.
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Emma Roberts says she's lost jobs because of 'nepo baby' label
Keir Starmer becomes U.K. prime minister after his Labour Party wins huge majority in general election
To a defiant Biden, the 2024 race is up to the voters, not to Democrats on Capitol Hill
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Margot Robbie Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Tom Ackerley
Nightengale's Notebook: Twins' Carlos Correa finds peace after bizarre free agency saga
NHRA legend John Force walking with assistance after Traumatic Brain Injury from crash