Republican Bernie Moreno wins Senate seat in Ohio, a blow to Democrats' hopes of keeping the chamber

Republican businessman Bernie Moreno defeated longtime Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown Tuesday in the nation's costliest U.S. Senate race in history, according to Fox News and NBC News.

Moreno got around 51% of the votes over Brown's 46% as of 11:32 p.m. Brown, a three-term senator, was one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country in today's election ? second only to Montana Sen. Jon Tester ? and Republicans saw the Buckeye State as key to gaining control of the Senate.

Republicans and Democrats spent nearly $477 million on the race, according to AdImpact, making it the most expensive non-presidential contest on record.

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Brown relied on a familiar formula as he campaigned across Ohio: Touting issues important to middle-class voters, often with union leaders at his side, and painting himself as a fighter against corporations and Big Pharma. He highlighted his efforts in the Senate to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, cut insulin costs and restore worker pensions.

Brown also talked often about abortion access, buoyed by last year's vote to enshrine reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution.

But the senator has never appeared on the ballot with former president Donald Trump, who won Ohio by 8 points in 2016 and 2020. Knowing that, the campaign emphasized Brown's willingness to work across the aisle and his support from some Republicans, including former Gov. Bob Taft.

More: What to know about Ohio Senate race between Sherrod Brown, Bernie Moreno

Moreno, on the other hand, is backed by Trump and has the bulk of the GOP behind him. Before running for Senate, Moreno built a chain of luxury car dealerships based in northeast Ohio and started a company to digitize car titles using blockchain. He moved from Colombia to the United States with his family when he was a child.

Moreno shared his personal immigration story as he railed against Brown and the Biden administration on border security. He argued for more domestic energy production, fewer business regulations and tax cuts for companies that keep jobs in the United States.

At the same time, Moreno fielded criticism for dozens of lawsuits he faced as a business owner, including cases in Massachusetts that accused him of not paying overtime to employees. He also got caught with his foot in his mouth after mocking older, suburban women who view abortion access as a key issue.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Republican Bernie Moreno wins Senate seat in Ohio over Sherrod Brown