Columbus venture capitalist Mark Kvamme, who many Republicans thought to be a potential GOP contender to run for U.S. Senate against Ohio Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024, announced that he would not be running for Senate and instead endorsed Republican businessman Bernie Moreno.
Moreno previously filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for Senate in 2024 and to challenge Democratic incumbent Brown. He officially announced his campaign last week, saying that it’s time for a new generation of political outsiders to come in and get the job done to put America First.
“I’m running for US Senate because I’ve had enough of the insider politicians in both parties selling us out. They’re too weak and too cowardly to get the job done. We need a new generation of political outsiders with some spine to put America First,” Moreno said.
According to Kvamme, his running for Senate is “not going to happen,” but instead he is backing Moreno.
Moreno’s daughter and wife of U.S. Representative Max Miller (R-OH-07), Emily Moreno Miller applauded Kvamme’s endorsement.
“Entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs,” Moreno Miller said.
Moreno has also received support from 2024 presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, saying that he would not be easy to beat.
“Word is that Bernie Moreno, the highly respected businessman from the GREAT STATE of OHIO, and the father-in-law of fantastic young Congressman, Max Miller, is thinking of running for the Senate. He would not be easy to beat, especially against Brown, one of the worst in the Senate!” Trump said.
Although this is not an endorsement, it shows that Trump is closely watching the candidates running or preparing to run for Senate in Ohio.
Republican State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls), who finished third in last year’s primary election, also announced his candidacy. Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose told The Ohio Star that he is also actively considering running.
In 2022, Moreno ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Senate before withdrawing from the race before the primary. After meeting with Trump, who would later support one of his opponents, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH), he decided to withdraw.
Since Ohio has shifted to the right in statewide and federal races since 2016, Brown is one of the more vulnerable Senate Democrats in the 2024 cycle.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mark Kvamme” by Mark Kvamme. Photo “Bernie Moreno” by Bernie Moreno.
