Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno speaks during a rally for Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, in Middletown, Ohio, Monday, July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

GOP upstart Bernie Moreno has knocked off longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown to become the state’s newest senator. The Associated Press called the race for Moreno at 11:27 p.m. EST.

Like many other Republicans, Moreno was initially opposed to the Trumpian takeover of the party, calling him a “lunatic” and a “maniac” in 2016. His tune changed during his second run at Ohio’s senate seat, wherein he stated he was honored to earn Trump’s endorsement. With that endorsement came the bog-standard positions on immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights and, of course, the conspiracy that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen. 

Brown, the lone Democrat in Ohio to hold a state-wide office, ran his typical left-of-center campaign. And, according to NBC, is “the only Democrat besides Barack Obama who has won more than one statewide election in Ohio in the last 30 years.” 

The race was marked by a historic spending spree, wherein a whopping $500 million was cumulatively spent on the election.