Locked in tight race, GOP Ohio Senate candidates turn up heat, defend Trump in last debate

Ohio's Republican U.S. Senate candidates met on the debate stage for the final time Wednesday, attacking each other's records as they aim to distinguish themselves for undecided voters.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, are running for the chance to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. The race will be one of the most competitive U.S. Senate battles in the country and could determine which party controls the Senate in 2025.

The debate took place at Miami University and aired on WLWT.

All three Republicans are aligned in several ways: They oppose abortion, don't support minimum wage increases and want to crack down on the U.S.-Mexico border. But the primary has become more heated in recent days as the candidates near the finish line, with no clear frontrunner in sight.

A poll from SurveyUSA released this week showed Moreno barely edging out his opponents, with 23% of likely voters still undecided.

"Those same forces, that for the last 14 or 15 or 16 months have tried to cancel the America first movement and tried to make certain that somebody else replaced President Trump, now in this Senate race it's the same thing," Moreno said.

Trump endorsed Moreno back in December − even though Moreno once called him a "lunatic" − and his nod spurred support from Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, and other high-profile Republicans. The former president overshadowed Wednesday's debate as the candidates sparred over who would be his best ally in the Senate.

Dolan was the only one who declined to endorse a candidate in the presidential primary. LaRose put him on the spot Wednesday and asked if he'll back Trump now that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has dropped out of the race.

"I'm supporting President Trump to be our nominee, but because I support Trump Republican policies," Dolan said. "His personality, it's not me. His political style, it's not me. But his policies that make your life better and make America strong, will make Ohio stronger, that is me."

LaRose has aligned himself more closely with Trump despite longtime ties to former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and his aides. NBC News reported this week that LaRose was scheduled to participate in a Zoom call with No Labels, which is trying to recruit a third party presidential candidate. LaRose never joined the call, and a campaign spokesman said No Labels "got over their skis."

Still, Moreno went after LaRose for the call, at one point getting his microphone cut for going off topic.

"I understand that some people may find his personality abrasive," LaRose said of Trump. "I think that's the kind of bold, courageous leader that we need. I would proudly trade some mean tweets about now for cheaper gas and for lower energy prices and for a more secure world."

Ohio Senate candidates trade barbs ahead of primary

Wednesday's moderator covered many of the same issues that came up in past debates: The economy, immigration, abortion and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. As they discussed their positions, Moreno, LaRose and Dolan traded barbs over inconsistencies in each other's histories.

Moreno, for instance, once penned an opinion column in favor of government clean energy programs. He previously supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and questioned why gun owners need high-capacity magazines. On the campaign trail, he's spoken out against all of those policies.

Critics of LaRose say his evolution from moderate legislator to Senate candidate raises questions of authenticity. Dolan's opponents have attacked him for voting against Ohio's ban on most abortions and supporting certain gun reforms.

"Tonight showed that the Republican candidates are more focused on fighting each other than fighting for Ohio,” said Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. "In between the personal attacks and name calling, each said he would overrule Ohioans by voting for a national abortion ban. Ohioans saw tonight that Moreno, LaRose, and Dolan are only out for themselves."

While Wednesday marked the last debate, Ohioans will see much more of the candidates before Election Day. The campaigns and groups backing them have reserved millions in ad spending through the primary, according to the ad-tracking firm Medium Buying.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Republicans in 2024 Ohio Senate race ramp up attacks in final debate