Staff Reports
The three top Republicans clawing for the Ohio Senate nomination are getting their cat claws out just weeks before the big primary. Instead of setting their sights on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), they’re too busy scratching each other’s eyes out.
We’ve got Bernie Moreno, a car salesman, Frank LaRose, Ohio’s Secretary of State, and Matt Dolan, a state senator, all gunning for the top spot. They’re on each other’s tails as they head into the final weeks of the race, which wraps up on March 19.
"The three top Republicans fighting for their party’s nomination in the Ohio Senate race have turned on each other just weeks from a brutal primary." https://t.co/jcOV3Gb8aU #OHSEN
— David Bergstein (@DavidABergstein) March 6, 2024
Moreno, who scored ex-President Donald Trump’s stamp of approval, went on the attack, taking swings at both his rivals as Nikki Haley wannabes. He wants an outsider to swoop in and clean up the mess in Washington, D.C. His pals are also poking at Dolan for backing a gas tax hike five years ago.
LaRose’s crew fired back, airing a spot with Moreno questioning if people really need a hundred bullets in a gun. But hold your horses, Moreno’s changed his tune on guns and now says he’s all for gun rights.
Well, Moreno’s new jab got the attention of his opponents, who claim it’s a sign he’s not as popular in the polls as he thought after getting a pat on the back from Trump. Ohio’s mainly pro-Trump, so this is kind of a big deal.
The LaRose camp’s mouthpiece, Rich Gorka, told NBC News, “If Bernie and his team thought they were really up 10 points, I think they would have taken a much different tack the last few days.” Ouch! Sounds like someone’s not sealing the deal with voters.
A strategist in Dolan’s corner agreed that Moreno’s slipping, but Moreno’s spokesperson swears voters are fed up with LaRose and Dolan’s politician antics.
The battle turned even nastier when Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) put the squeeze on his fellow Republicans, refusing to back projects from pols who don’t back Trump or his picks. Vance aimed his cannons at LaRose, pointing out his link to a big Democratic donor after LaRose flagged Moreno’s old stance on gun control.
Other experts are shaking their heads at the whole mess, saying it’s a snooze waste of time to go after a popular conservative senator in the Republican primary instead of going for each other.
They sure don’t sugarcoat it. Former Vance strategist Jai Chabria said, “It’s incredibly stupid for operatives to attack a popular conservative U.S. senator in a Republican primary rather than their opponent.” He’s not wrong! These guys are lucky “attack dumb” isn’t regulated or they’d lose their license before they even got started.
The three contenders are set to duke it out in one last debate on Wednesday night. The champion of the primary will probably face off against Brown in November.
