WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump’s choice of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate has catapulted another Ohioan into the spotlight: Bernie Moreno, the Republican trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.

What You Need To Know

  • Bernie Moreno is using the RNC and JD Vance's new position as VP candidate to raise his own profile in the Ohio Senate race

  • Moreno is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown

  • New campaign finance reports show Brown outraised Moreno in the last three months

In June, 40% of Ohioans either hadn’t heard of or were unsure how to rate Moreno, according to a Marist poll.

At this week’s Republican National Convention, Moreno has been trying to reach some of those voters by entwining the presidential election with his own.

“Tonight we've got a message for failed lifelong politicians like Sherrod Brown and Joe Biden. It's time to go home,” Moreno said in a speech at the convention on Tuesday.

Moreno has been given prominent speaking roles at the convention, while other Ohio politicians, such as state GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou have been using their platforms to boost Moreno’s visibility.

“I stand here today with my friend Bernie Marino, who's going to retire forever-politician Sherrod Brown and deliver a win to the United States Senate,” Triantafilou said before pledging Ohio’s delegates to Trump.

Trump’s selection of Vance as his running mate has further raised Moreno’s profile. Not only are the two men both Buckeyes, but Moreno competed against Vance in the Ohio Republican primary for Senate in 2022, a race Vance won.

Moreno’s campaign may hope the added attention will improve its lagging fundraising. New campaign reports show Brown raised $12.8 million during the past three months, nearly twice the $6.8 million that Moreno collected. Brown’s campaign had $10.4 million in the bank on June 30, while Moreno’s campaign had $4.5 million.

Moreno’s campaign wrote in a statement,

“Bernie will not be outworked and will continue to share his clear message of a growing economy, secure borders, and American energy dominance across our state.”

Brown’s campaign wrote in a statement,

“Sherrod has unprecedented grassroots support backing him because he has a proven track record fighting for Ohioans.”

With $240 million in advertising reserved or spent so far, the Ohio Senate race is now the most expensive non-presidential election in the country, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

The vast majority of that comes from outside groups hoping to influence a race that could determine the balance of power in the Senate.