by Mary Lou Masters
GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri endorsed Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in the contentious Ohio Senate primary on Thursday, the Daily Caller News Foundation first learned.
Moreno also has the backing of former President Donald Trump and numerous allies as he competes for a chance to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Schmitt became the 11th senator to publicly announce support for Moreno in the primary, the campaign told the DCNF.
“In November, Republicans have a chance to take back the Senate and reverse the Biden administration’s disastrous policies, and I’m proud to endorse Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate,” Schmitt told the DCNF in a statement. “Bernie is a fighter for working families and I look forward to working with him to secure our border, rein in reckless spending, and return our nation to energy independence.”
Along with Schmitt, Republican Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Marco Rubio of Florida, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Mike Lee of Utah, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, John Barrasso of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas have thrown their support behind Moreno, according to his campaign.
“Senator Schmitt is a conservative fighter who has led the charge against the Biden administration’s reckless policies and overreach that has burdened hardworking Ohio families, and I’m grateful for his endorsement,” Moreno told the DCNF in a statement.
Ohio GOP Reps. Warren Davidson, Jim Jordan and Max Miller have also endorsed Moreno, according to the campaign. The businessman has also received the backing of former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake of Arizona and South Dakota’s GOP Gov. Kristi Noem.
Moreno (pictured above, right) will have to face Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan in the Senate Republican primary. Recent polling suggests Brown is vulnerable against all three of the GOP contenders.
An Emerson College survey found Brown’s lead had slipped against Moreno by eight points since the poll was last conducted in November. The Democrat’s margins also shrunk by three points against LaRose and two points against Dolan.
The same poll indicated Moreno is leading the GOP primary field with 22% support, which is a 12-point increase since the last survey. LaRose followed at 21%, Dolan received 15% of the share and 42% remain undecided for the primary on March 19.
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Mary Lou Masters is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Bernie Moreno” by Bernie Moreno.
