CLEVELAND — One of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the nation was in Ohio Tuesday as incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown looked to hold off GOP challenger Bernie Moreno. However, the veteran politician finally met an election he couldn't win.
Moreno was declared the winner by both NBC News and the Associated Press. This means both of Ohio's Senate seats will be occupied by Republicans for the first time in 18 years, when Brown unseated future Gov. Mike DeWine.
During his victory speech in Westlake, Moreno looked to reach out to Ohioans on both sides of the political aisle.
"We celebrate tonight, not as Republicans, but as Americans. To the people out there in Ohio who didn't vote for me, just know I will always advocate for you," he pledged.
What was at stake with tonight's race? The result of Brown vs. Moreno helped to flip control of the U.S. Senate to the GOP for at least the next two years. Coming into Election Night, the Democrats held a 51-49 Senate advantage, a split that includes independent senators who caucus with Democrats.
Brown was seeking election to his fourth term in the Senate. The 71-year-old currently serves on four Senate committees, including chairman of the powerful Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. He has positioned himself as an advocate for Ohio workers, most recently encouraging the Biden administration to stop the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, believing the sale "will make it much more difficult for the U.S. to bring trade cases in support of U.S. steelworkers and take action against bad actors."
Although Brown is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to defeat Trump for president, he raised several eyebrows by opting not to attend the Democratic National Convention in August.
"Tonight, I'm sad, but I'm never giving up," Brown told supporters in Columbus after his defeat. "In the light of day, I know most of you aren't giving up either."
The 57-year-old Moreno came back this year for his second attempt at winning the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate after falling short in 2022 to JD Vance. This time, he had the backing of the most influential Republican in the nation: Former President Donald Trump.
With Trump's support, Moreno defeated Ohio State Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to capture the Republican nomination in the March primary. Moreno, in his election night speech in Cleveland, called for party unity while praising Trump. He also set the tone for the fall campaign against Brown with a pledge to "retire the old commie."
Moreno gave thanks to Trump for his support during his victory speech.
"President Trump, if you're watching, thank you. Thank you for being decisive in my primary. Thank you for being the greatest president of our generation. And thank you for the sacrifices you've made for this country. This country owes Donald J. Trump a debt of gratitude," he said.
During a town hall in September, Moreno gained national attention in a viral video where he questioned 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.'"