Accusations, name calling and arguments flew as three Ohio Republican candidates vying for U.S. Senate took part in their final debate ahead of the March 19 primary.
Each candidate — Ohio Sen. Matt Dolan, of Chagrin Falls, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, of Columbus, and Cleveland business owner Bernie Moreno, of Westlake — hopes to be the Republican pick who will challenge the incumbent, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland.
The debate, held at Miami University’s Gates-Abegglen Theatre on March 6, was an opportunity for the candidates to share their stance on topics such as immigration, abortion and support for former President Donald Trump.
All three candidates agreed that illegal immigration needs to be controlled but differed in approach.
Dolan supported building a wall on the border of the U.S. and Mexico and increasing security to stop illegal immigration. Dolan wants to “secure and seal the border” but also recognizes that some of the immigrants could help the U.S. workforce. He said as long as they are willing to enter the process of becoming citizens, “they are fine.”
LaRose agreed with building a wall along the border but thinks the U.S. should secure it with the military, in order to also prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S. LaRose said he supports a lifetime ban on citizenship for those who come to the U.S. illegally.
Moreno argued that the U.S. could send “a million troops on the border,” but the problem is a loophole in the country’s asylum laws.
“The law currently says you must be granted an asylum hearing,” Moreno said, referring to illegal immigrants claiming asylum. “Now what we have to do is make it very clear, if you cross into the country illegally, you are returned. You aren’t arrested. You aren’t detained.”
All the candidates said they opposed abortion but criticized each other for involvements that might suggest otherwise.
Dolan said certain exceptions should be allowed when the mother’s life is at risk and for instances of rape and incest but he does not support late-term abortions. He thinks the federal government needs to find a reasonable position on access to abortion if the laws around the procedure are left up to the states.
Moreno supports a federal standard of allowing the procedure for up to 15 weeks of pregnancy but is also against late-term abortions. He said he wants to create policies that make it less expensive to raise children, allocate funding to pregnancy centers and defund Planned Parenthood.
LaRose said he, like Moreno, supports funding pregnancy centers and accessibility to contraception. However, he called Moreno “shifty,” claiming that he sat on a charitable foundation board that gave $2 million to Planned Parenthood.
Moreno said an “advisory donor” contributed the money, and he had no part in it. He called LaRose out for scheduling a meeting with the third-party group No Labels. The Associated Press reported this week that No Labels will soon decide which candidate they support for president.
Moreno called No Labels “the most radical, Planned Parenthood advocacy, pro-open borders organization.”
“Fake news. My labels are well-known, conservative, Republican. There was no call, there was no meeting,” LaRose responded.
No Labels did not respond to a request for comment. After the debate, Rick Gorka, a campaign spokesman for LaRose, said the candidate was doing a radio interview when the meeting was supposed to take place, and he was never going to be on the call.
“Somebody got over their skis and put something out they weren’t supposed to,” Gorka said, referring to the No Labels organization.
Dolan was criticized by both LaRose and Moreno for not endorsing Trump for president. Both Moreno, who Trump is supporting in the race, and LaRose have endorsed the former president’s reelection campaign. Dolan, who said he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, has yet to issue a formal endorsement.
“Of course, I’m going to support President Trump,” Dolan said in response. “But here’s the thing, I’m going to fight for Ohio. My commitment and my public service in this race has always been about you.”
The debate was sponsored by Miami University’s Menard Family Center for Democracy and televised in partnership with WLWT News 5. It was moderated by WLWT anchor Sheree Paolello.
Meet the candidates:
Matt Dolan
Sen. Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls), 59, who is also part owner of the Cleveland Guardians major league franchise, serves as chairman for the Ohio Senate Finance Committee.
Dolan said his experience in passing “conservative budgets” with less taxes and regulations in the statehouse sets him apart from the other candidates. He also said he is not “reinventing himself” for the campaign.
“Frank talks about guns, he cozies up to a gun control group. Bernie talks about how he’s tough on immigration, he was for [a] path to residency. These guys are reinventing themselves,” Dolan said.
According to his campaign website, his primary issues are cutting taxes and eliminating government restrictions on small businesses, building physical walls and increasing surveillance at the U.S. border to prevent illegal immigration, and prohibiting any governmental attempts to defund police and first responders.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston College in 1987 and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1990.
He is partner at the law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan and vice president of 7th Avenue Properties in Chardon, Ohio.
Frank LaRose
LaRose, 44, has served as Ohio’s Secretary of State since 2019 after previously serving two terms as state senator for Hudson, Ohio, in 2010 and again in 2014.
According to his campaign website, he is focused on providing care and benefits for veterans, completing a wall at the U.S. border and increasing housing availability and affordability.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in consumer affairs after serving in the U.S. Army. In 2003, LaRose earned the Army Green Beret award. If elected, he will be the first Special Forces Soldier to serve in the U.S. Senate.
“This is why I’m in this fight, because we have a country to save,” LaRose said. “I’m an Army Green Beret. I’ve been in the army for over 15 years, a lot longer than I’ve been in politics.”
Bernie Moreno
Moreno, 57, is a businessman who owned one of the largest car dealership groups in the U.S. that included Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Buick and Maserati dealerships. According to his website, Moreno sold “most of his business to begin focusing on his calling: protecting the American dream for another generation.”
Moreno is the only candidate of the three without a background in politics. However, he does not believe his lack of experience will hurt him.
“These guys view everything from the lens of government,” Moreno said. “They’ve had no private sector experience whatsoever, so everything that they look at, every situation they look at, they look at from the lens of government. That’s the problem.”
According to his campaign website, his primary issues include empowering parents to have a voice in educational choices, securing America’s borders and restoring election integrity.
He earned a bachelor’s degree of business administration in marketing from the University of Michigan.
