OHIO — Republican Bernie Moreno is set to take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in the November election after winning Ohio's primary Tuesday, the Associated Press projects. 

Former car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur Moreno was up against two other challengers: Businessman Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who also is an Army veteran. 

“Ohioans know I have always stood by them to make sure their hard work pays off and will stand up to anyone who gets in the way. The choice ahead of Ohio is clear: Bernie Moreno has spent his career and campaign putting himself first and would do the same if elected," Brown said in a statement. "Elections come down to whose side you’re on, and I’ll always work for Ohio — from standing up to special interests taking advantage of Ohio workers and corporations raising costs for families to making sure our veterans get the health care they earned.”

Moreno secured Trump's endorsement in the race. On the other hand, Dolan got the nod from Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. All three have voiced support on national restrictions on abortion, limiting discussion of sexuality and transgender issues in schools and cracking down on illegal immigration. 

“I want to thank President Trump for all he did for me, for this campaign, for his unwavering support, and for his love of this country. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone who loves this country the way he does,” Moreno said in his victory speech.

Moreno, a native of Bogota, Colombia, who partially funded his own campaign, rode to victory after casting himself as a political outsider, who — like Trump — would go to Washington to shake things up. He and allied political action committees pilloried Dolan and LaRose as “career politicians.” He built his fortune in Cleveland in luxury auto sales and blockchain technology.

LaRose, a former state senator and Green Beret elected twice statewide, raised more in grassroots donations of $200 or less than either of his rivals. He loaned himself $250,000, compared to $4.2 million Moreno loaned his own campaign and a whopping $9 million Dolan loaned to his.

Matt Dolan, offering a traditional small-government conservative alternative to America First populism, came in second place.

“We ran a race where we wanted to present a case to republicans to say if you want somebody who understands the operations of government, wants to go to Washington and get things done,” Dolan said in his concession speech. “We just didn't get it out to enough people.”

LaRose had endorsed former President Donald Trump’s MAGA platform, but ultimately could not overcome losing Trump’s endorsement to Moreno.

“It’s obvious that tonight was not my opportunity to be the Republican nominee for United States Senate, but it was an honor to be considered for that,” LaRose said in his concession speech. “I can tell you that it was very humbling traveling around the state, talking to my fellow Ohioans about these issues that we care about.”

Both Moreno and Dolan also competed in the 2022 Senate race, a messy and crowded contest won by Trump-backed memoirist and venture capitalist JD Vance. Moreno dropped out of the primary at Trump’s behest; Dolan finished third. Vance went on to win the general election that year against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.

As of now, Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the U.S. Senate, and whoever wins in the November election could shake up the numbers. 

The Associated Press contributed to this article.