Chuck Schumer-affiliated PAC messed up big time, boosting a Republican who just took a Senate seat
Post-McConnell Republicans now control the U.S. Senate, thanks in part to a Democratic super PAC closely affiliated with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Although Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) has been in office for nearly two decades, he appeared particularly vulnerable this election cycle. The Duty and Country PAC, funded by the Schumer-linked Senate Majority PAC, meddled in the 2024 Ohio Republican primary in hopes of boosting the weaker of Brown's potential challengers in hopes of keeping the Senate seat.
It had no idea it would be helping the man who would ultimately unseat Brown: the Trump- and Vance-backed Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno.
'Exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate.'
The New York Times reported in March that Duty and Country, which had been running ads on behalf of Brown in Ohio, blew roughly $2.7 million to run an ad across the state characterizing Moreno — then facing off with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan — as an ultraconservative aligned with President Donald Trump.
While the ad was on its face negative, it highlighted views and credentials that might resonate with likely Republican voters.
"MAGA Republican Bernie Moreno is too conservative for Ohio," said the ad. "In Washington, Moreno would do Donald Trump's bidding. That's why Trump endorsed Moreno, calling him 'exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate.'"
Dolan told NBC News at the time, "National Democrats are putting millions of dollars behind Bernie Moreno in the waning days of this primary because he is damaged, unelectable and incapable of defeating Sherrod Brown."
"Democrats constantly underestimate the America First movement at their own peril," said Reagan McCarthy, Moreno's communications director. "They thought President Trump would be easy to beat in 2016 and then they got their clocks cleaned when he demolished Hillary Clinton. The same thing is going to happen to Sherrod Brown this year."
Of the two, McCarthy was right.
'You're fired, buddy.'
With 92% of the vote in, Decision Desk HQ indicated that Moreno beat Brown 50.2% to 46.4%, netting over 220,000 more votes.
"What we need in the United States of America is leaders in Washington, D.C., that actually put the interests of American citizens above all else. We're tired of being treated like second-class citizens in our own country. We're tired of leaders that think we're garbage and we're tired of being treated like garbage," the soon-to-be senator said in his victory speech.
Moreno then singled out Schumer, saying, "Chuck Schumer, if you're watching, thanks for the help in the primary, but you're fired, buddy."
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