A new poll in Ohio’s closely watched U.S. Senate race has shifted momentum, with Republican challenger Bernie Moreno taking the lead over incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. The Morning Consult poll released Thursday shows Moreno leading by 1%, a significant swing that threatens Democratic hopes of maintaining their fragile control of the Senate.
NEW: In the race for the Senate, Democratic incumbents maintain leads in most states that we’re tracking, but Sherrod Brown of Ohio now trails Republican challenger Bernie Moreno. https://t.co/IZkAV8zsrZ
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) October 17, 2024
In a separate poll conducted by Fabrizio Lee for the Moreno campaign, results revealed an even larger gap, placing Moreno ahead of Brown by three percentage points, 47% to 44%, with a margin of error of 3.1%. The shift has Democrats on high alert as Republicans inch closer to flipping this crucial Senate seat.
While early voting typically favors Democrats, Axios reported that the early returns are currently tied—an encouraging sign for Moreno’s campaign. As the race tightens, Moreno has continued to criticize Brown’s alignment with progressive policies. On social media, Moreno claimed, “Sherrod Brown has been a rubber stamp for the radical left, only cares about keeping his taxpayer-funded salary, and sold out Ohio to San Francisco liberals like Kamala Harris.” These attacks highlight the growing divide in Ohio politics, where Republicans are capitalizing on voter discontent with Democratic leadership.
The race, already the most expensive congressional contest in Ohio’s history, has seen $483 million spent by both sides. Moreno’s campaign has also been boosted by his pro-cryptocurrency stance, attracting support from a cryptocurrency PAC that has contributed $40 million to unseat Brown. This comes as Brown, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, has positioned himself as a vocal critic of cryptocurrency following the FTX scandal.
“The FTX collapse showed how dangerous crypto can be,” Brown stated during a 2023 Banking Committee hearing. “But FTX wasn’t the only bad apple. It was just the most explosive example of the problems in crypto: failure to provide real disclosure, the conflicts of interest, the risky bets with customer money that was supposed to be safe. For consumers, it adds up to billions of dollars.” Brown’s stance has become a flashpoint in the race, with Moreno frequently attacking him on the issue, stating that Brown “doesn’t know the difference between blockchain and a chainsaw.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher in Ohio, as the Senate balance could flip with a single Republican win. A GOP victory in this seat would either give Republicans control outright or provide a critical tiebreaker if the presidency swings their way in 2024. With early voting tied and polling showing a narrowing race, all eyes are on Ohio as both parties pour resources into the battle for Senate control.
