The Ohio U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Bernie Moreno is living up to its tossup status, with recent polls showing the two candidates in a statistical tie.
However, new comments from Moreno about suburban women's views on abortion are inviting backlash not just from Democrats, but also from a notable Republican.
The remarks were made last week during a town hall with voters in Warren County, near Cincinnati. In video from the event, Moreno questions why suburban women would singularly focus on abortion.
"The left has a lot of single-issue voters," Moreno said. "Sadly, by the way, there's a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women, that are like, 'Listen, abortion's it. If I can't have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.' OK, a little crazy, by the way, but especially for women that are, like, past 50. I'm thinking to myself, 'I don't think that's an issue for you.'"
Brown was quick to pounce on his opponent's comments, posting on X that Moreno believes "he knows better than 57% of Ohioans," referring to the percentage of voters who elected to enshrine abortion rights into the state's constitution last year.
Meanwhile, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley also weighed in, derisively asking Moreno, "Are you trying to lose the election?"
When asked for comment by 3News, a spokesperson for Moreno's campaign said, in part, "Bernie was clearly making a tongue-in-cheek joke about how Sherrod Brown and members of the leftwing media like to pretend that the only issue that matters to women voters is abortion. Bernie's view is that women voters care just as much about the economy, rising prices, crime, and our open southern border as male voters do."
Whether a joke or not, Moreno himself appeared to realize it might not have landed so well, telling those assembled for the town hall, "Oh, thank God my wife didn't hear that one."
As for Moreno's stance on abortion, despite his previous position during his 2022 Senate run in which he supported "no exceptions," his campaign says he currently supports a 15-week federal ban, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.