Republicans in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race are facing last-minute interference from a group affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Duty and Country PAC, which is linked to the Schumer-linked Senate Majority PAC, has launched a $2.5 million TV ad campaign in Ohio to promote businessman Bernie Moreno as too conservative for the state. The ad, which began airing on Thursday, highlights Moreno’s endorsement by former President Trump and portrays him as a “MAGA extremist” who would support Trump’s policies on abortion and Obamacare. However, Moreno’s opponents in the GOP primary, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Sen. Matt Dolan, have criticized the ad as evidence that Schumer sees Moreno as the weakest candidate to face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. They argue that Schumer is meddling in the primary to ensure a favorable opponent for Brown. The Ohio GOP Senate primary is closely watched, as the three Republican candidates are locked in a tight race to challenge Brown in November. Recent polls have shown Dolan in the lead, but with a significant percentage of voters still undecided. The Cook Political Report considers the Ohio Senate race a “toss-up” and one of the few opportunities for Republicans to regain control of the Senate.
