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Columbus, OH – After today’s rally featuring Bernie Moreno, Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Katie Smith issued the following statement. 

“Today, Bernie Moreno proved once again that he’s out for himself, not Ohioans. From refusing to pay his employees the overtime they had earned and going so far as to deliberately destroy evidence to cover it up, to supporting a national abortion ban which would overrule Ohioans, to opposing the bill that would crack down on fentanyl coming from China and Mexico – it’s clear that Moreno won’t work for Ohio.”

What You Need To Know About Bernie Moreno:

• Bernie Moreno doesn’t support workers. Moreno refused to pay his employees the overtime they’d earned, deliberately shredded evidence he was legally required to keep to get out of paying them, and was found liable for wage theft by a jury – forcing Moreno to pay over $400,000 in damages to his employees and settle over a dozen similar wage theft cases. After he got caught, Moreno repeatedly lied about the case and  multiple fact checks found his excuses “false.”

• Moreno supports a national abortion ban that would overturn the will of Ohioans. Moreno has said he is “100% pro-life with no exceptions” and that he is “absolute pro-life, no exceptions.”  

• Moreno opposed the bipartisan border security bill – which was backed by border patrol agents – that would have helped secure the southern border and protect Ohioans by providing additional manpower at the border, expanding resources for border patrol agents, and cracking down on fentanyl coming from China and Mexico. 

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Howard Wilkinson, WVXU: “Whoever wins the GOP primary will have an uphill climb.” 

Columbus, OH – With just four days left until this “all-out brawl” finally comes to a head, this primary has become a total “bloodbath” that is getting nastier and more expensive by the hour. No matter who claws their way across the finish line, they’ll be bruised and battered with substantial baggage, and will face a steep “uphill climb” after making it clear they won’t fight for Ohioans. 

Here’s a recap of what happened last week in what has been called one of the “messiest,” “most expensive,” and “bruising” primary battles in the country – and has now become an “all-out brawl.”

THE MESSIEST, NASTIEST, MOST EXPENSIVE SENATE PRIMARY IN THE COUNTRY

There’s been months of messy attacks, non-stop infighting, and increasing nastiness in the #OHSEN Slugfest. Let’s open the dictionary on how this race – the nastiest Senate primary in the country – has been described. 

This “slugfest” is “messy,” “bloody,” “bruising,” “expensive,” “heated,” “nasty,” “fractious,” “increasingly hostile.” The field “came out swinging” and have “sparred,” “clashed bitterly,” “traded jabs,” “traded barbs,”  “turn[ed] up [the] heat,” and “continued their attacks” every single day of this “fierce battle,” “three-way brawl,” “clash,” of a primary – and it’s now become an “all-out brawl.”

SLUGFEST DEVOLVES INTO “BLOODBATH”

For months, Ohioans have watched non-stop attacks between the field with more than $41 million spent so far on TV – and that number grows by the hour. 

Politico: “The Republican Senate primary in Ohio has turned nasty, negative and…has become an all-out brawl in the final leg of the race.”

Politico: “Moreno compared Dolan to anti-Trump Republicans Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney, and said LaRose will “lie through his teeth to get political power.” Dolan called Moreno a “phony” and he concluded that LaRose’s mishandling of a constitutional amendment on abortion rights “dismisses” him from the race. LaRose said Moreno is “very liberal” and is part of the “corporate elite” and that Dolan is an “anti-gun guy” with a “very shoddy” abortion record.” 

What Ohioans are seeing:

Understatement of the cycle: whoever comes out the other end of this brawl will be brutally damaged.

💰 MONEY MONEY MONEY: #OHSEN MEGA-MILLIONAIRES *STILL* TRYING TO BUY OHIO’S SENATE SEAT 💰

The #OHSEN field is *still* trying to buy this Senate seat.

On Tuesday, Matt Dolan dumped in another $1 million of his personal fortune into this race, bringing the total he’s self-funded so far this cycle up to $10.2 million. 

And don’t forget: Bernie Moreno is *also* trying to buy Ohio’s Senate seat – he’s a multimillionaire who’s put more than $4 million of his own money in to try to buy this race. 

Plus, new reporting from Axios detailed that Moreno would be “one of the wealthiest senators if elected” – the 6th wealthiest, in fact – with a net worth of up to $106 million and properties spanning from Costa Rica to New York City to the Florida Keys.

Live footage of the #OHSEN Field trying to buy Ohio’s Senate seat: 

SLUGFEST COUNTDOWN

4 days left until this Slugfest – which has devolved into an “all-out brawl” – comes to a head. 

CLEAN UP ON AISLE 5: WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING ABOUT THIS MESSY, NASTY “ALL-OUT BRAWL”

Politico: Republicans are worried as the Ohio Senate primary breaks out into an all-out brawl

Axios: Democrats attack Senate GOP’s wealthy “carpetbagger” candidates

Cleveland.com: Ohio Senate race: Millionaire Republican candidates dip further into personal funds to bankroll campaigns in election’s final weeks

Statehouse News Bureau: Filings show Dolan, Moreno loaned themselves millions for US Senate race’s final leg

AP: Republicans running to face Ohio’s Democratic US Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall vie for voters’ trust

NBC News: Ohio’s GOP Senate primary turns nasty as Trump’s candidate tries to fend off rivals

🙁 FINAL FRIDAY SLUGFEST 🙁

It’s the final Friday of the Ohio Senate Slugfest! We know you’ll miss us…  

But one thing is clear:

No matter which untested rich guy makes it through this expensive slugfest, they’ll enter the general election damaged, with substantial baggage, and a steep hill to climb after making it clear to Ohioans that they’re only out for themselves.

This isn’t a goodbye – it’s a see you later. We’ll be back real soon… so stay tuned! 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Howard Wilkinson, WXVU: “Whoever wins the GOP primary will have an uphill climb.” 

J.D. Vance (yes, we know): “Unfortunately, we’re at a phase where there’s a lot of negative advertising. I think, obviously, that will eventually harm the nominee. The more negative dollars you spend attacking each other, the more it makes it harder.”

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Columbus, OH – With just six days left to go until this “increasingly hostile” slugfest explodes, this “three-way brawl” continues to get nastier and more expensive with no signs of slowing down. 

A recap of the attacks and barbs you may have missed so far this week:

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Columbus, OH – With one week left until this “increasingly hostile,” “bruising,” “expensive,” “three-way brawl” of a primary comes to a head, here’s what Ohioans need to know about Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan. 

Before heading to the polls, here’s what Ohioans need to know about the field:

• All three candidates support a national abortion ban which would overrule the will of Ohioans who overwhelmingly voted to protect reproductive rights last November.

• All three candidates opposed the bipartisan border security bill that was backed by border patrol agents and would have curbed the flow of fentanyl across our southern border. 

• All three candidates “are willing to repeal” the Affordable Care Act.

• All three candidates opposed protections for IVF by opposing Issue 1 last November. 

• All three candidates are wealthy, out-of-touch, and using their massive personal fortunes, money from out-of-state billionaires, and parents’ cash to try to buy Ohio’s Senate seat. 

A look at what Ohioans have been reading about Bernie Moreno during this slugfest:

A look at what Ohioans have been reading about Frank LaRose during this slugfest:

What Ohioans have been reading about Matt Dolan during this slugfest: 

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Columbus, OH – Moreno’s record stealing his employees’ wages and shredding the evidence to get out of paying them continues to cloud his candidacy – this time in a new TV ad – further putting the image he’s trying to sell voters “in question.” 

Reminder: Bernie Moreno refused to pay his employees the overtime they’d earned, destroyed evidence, was found liable for wage theft, and has repeatedly lying about it: 

• Business Insider: Trump-backed Ohio Senate candidate shredded documents as he faced a lawsuit accusing him of wage theft

• WCMH: Fact check: Did Senate candidate Bernie Moreno shred documents accusing him of wage theft?

• Mother Jones: A GOP Senate Candidate Blames “Liberal” Judges for His Labor Violations. Just One Problem With That.

• WKYC: No, Bernie Moreno’s claims that Massachusetts courts overturned federal law in wage theft lawsuits and made rulings retroactive are not true: VERIFY

• The Daily Beast: This GOP Senate Hopeful’s Self-Made Story Has a Darker Side

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