Ohio Voter’s Guide: United States Senate

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, was first elected in 2006, when he defeated then-Sen. Mike DeWine in a wave year for Democrats nationwide. Brown was re-elected in 2012 and 2018, but this year is different. For the first time in his career, Brown will be on the ballot on the same day as former President Donald Trump, who won Ohio easily in 2016 and 2020.

Brown is running against Trump-backed Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in one of the country’s most watched and expensive races that could determine which party gains control of the U.S. Senate.

Libertarian Party candidate Don Kissick is also on the ballot.

Sherrod Brown (D)

Sherrod Brown, 71, was born and raised in Mansfield.

Before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Brown served in Congress, as Ohio Secretary of State, and in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Brown lives in Cleveland with his wife, Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author. They have three daughters, a son, eight grandchildren and their rescue dogs, Franklin and Walter.

Problems:

Wants to reduce prescription drug costs for our seniors and increase transparency in the prescription drug supply chain. Played a key role in passing legislation to reduce prescription drug costs for Ohioans with Medicare and cap the price of insulin at $35 per month.
Protected the pensions of more than 100,000 Ohioans through the Butch Lewis Act. Now he’s fighting to restore benefits to more than 5,000 retirees in Delphi.
Sponsor of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act to support Ohio law enforcement by targeting the illicit fentanyl supply chain – from the chemical suppliers in China to the cartels that traffic the drug in Mexico.
Introduced and helped pass the INTERDICT Act, which became law under President Trump. This law gives Border Patrol agents the latest technology to detect opioids before law enforcement officers are exposed to them or before opioids enter Ohio communities.
Believes that presidents of both parties have failed to secure our southern border and has worked with Republicans and Democrats in Washington to fortify the border, provide additional resources to border agents, and prevent dangerous fentanyl from entering the country. Supported the bipartisan border security bill, which was supported by Border Patrol agents.
Wants to raise the minimum wage and has introduced legislation to ensure workers get the advance notice and training they deserve when companies introduce new technologies that impact their jobs.

Bernie Moreno (right)

Moreno, 57, was born in Bogota, Colombia. His family moved to the United States at age 5. He became a U.S. citizen at age 18.

Moreno bought his first car dealership in 2005. In 2018, he co-founded ChampTitles, which eliminates the need for states to issue paper titles. Moreno served as chairman of the board and recently sold his entire interest in the company. He is no longer chairman.

He has never held elected office before.

Bernie lives in Westlake, Ohio, with his wife Bridget and has four adult children.

Problems:

Give parents the opportunity to make choices in education
Secure America’s Borders, End Amnesty, and Destroy the Mexican Drug Cartels
Restore the integrity of our elections
Massively reduce anti-growth regulations, cut government spending and end inflation
Defeat Communist China
Support our greatest ally, Israel, and fight to end all forms of antisemitism in the United States, especially on our college campuses.
Hold Big Tech Accountable and Break Up Major Media
Protect mothers, protect families and protect life by supporting a ban on late-stage abortions
Empower local law enforcement to ensure safe communities
Vigorously defend our constitutional rights, especially the Second Amendment
Restore America’s energy independence
Let the free market do its work
Establish term limits for members of Congress
US Manufacturing Recovery
Put an end to wokeness and cancel culture
End Socialism in America

Don Kissick (left)

Kissick moved to Ohio in 2007 with his first wife, Marcy, who died of cancer. Kissick, an auto worker, joined the Libertarian Party and lives with his second wife, Sarah, in Ottawa with their son, Jeremiah, and stepdaughter, Cameron.

According to his official website, he served in the United States Navy for six years, deploying twice to the Middle East (including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm).

Problems:

The national debt – it’s $21 trillion… Why is no one talking about this anymore? The primary way to reduce it is simple. Cut. Spend. Now.
No legislation of more than 1,000 pages – Since his first day in office, President Trump has vetoed exactly zero spending bills. We need to start electing American representatives who will stop sending wasteful legislation to his desk. We need to get America back on track.
Tax reform – I want all taxes cut and the tax code simplified dramatically – preferably to a flat tax rate. Then the federal government should begin the transition to a fair tax. Between now and the time that goal is achieved, a tax cut that is realistic for rapid pursuit is a reduction in federal diesel fuel taxes. This will have both immediate and long-term benefits to the economy.
Civil liberties are constantly under attack in our society. I will fight tirelessly to turn the tide on this problem. In connection with that…
Criminal Justice Reform – Repeale the Clinton Crime Bill of 1994. End Program 1033 of the National Defense Authorization Act. Repeale the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. End all federal incentives for civil asset forfeiture. Reform the way Qualified Immunity is administered. Legalize marijuana.
Foreign policy – I am a non-interventionist. Our continued role as the World Police is untenable. See plank 1 for more on why.
Preserve the Second Amendment and protecting the right to keep and bear arms will always be a priority for me.
Immigration reform – Legal access to our country is far too difficult. Furthermore, the attempt to build the “wall” is creating nightmarish situations along the border for both homeowners and commercial and non-profit organizations through the abuse of eminent domain, the Fourth Amendment, and (incredibly) the Third Amendment.
Corporate subsidies and bailouts are a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money and achieve nothing more than horribly distort market conditions – in every sector in which they are received – by propping up companies that would otherwise rightly be bankrupt if they were not politically connected.
Stop all foreign aid – When we talk about huge wastes of taxpayers’ money that cause unnecessary disruption…