Bernie Moreno Explained

Bernie Moreno
Birth Name:Bernardo Moreno
Birth Date:14 February 1967
Birth Place:Bogotá, Colombia
Occupation:Businessman
Party:Republican
Spouse:Bridget Moreno
Children:4
Education:University of Michigan

Bernardo Moreno (born February 14, 1967) is a Colombian-born American businessman and political candidate. He is the Republican nominee in the 2024 United States Senate election in Ohio, challenging incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown.

Early life, family, and education

Moreno was born in Bogotá, Colombia. His father, Bernardo Moreno Sr., was a physician and held high-ranking positions in the Colombian government. When Moreno was five, the family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was raised.[1] His father worked as a surgical assistant, and his mother was a real estate agent. Moreno became a US citizen at age 18.[2]

He attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a degree in business administration.[3]

Business career

After college, Moreno worked at General Motors.[4] At 26, he moved to Boston[5] to become the general manager at The Herb Chambers Companies, a car dealership for the General Motors division Saturn.[6]

Moreno is the president of the Collection Auto Group, a car dealership company.[7] He relocated to Ohio in 2005 and bought a Mercedes-Benz dealership in North Olmsted near Cleveland.[8] [9] [10] In 2019, he began to sell a number of his dealerships to focus on his new blockchain-based technology company, Ownum.[11]

Moreno was appointed to the board of trustees for the MetroHealth System in October 2019.[12]

In 2023, Moreno settled over a dozen wage theft lawsuits prior to launching his U.S. Senate campaign. He was ordered to pay over $400,000 to two former employees. He was rebuked by a state judge for shredding documents potentially related to the case.[13]

A 2024 report found that Moreno had faced two lawsuits alleging gender and age-based discrimination; Moreno's campaign responded by saying both employees who sued him now support his Senate campaign.[14]

Political career

In April 2021, Moreno entered the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to replace the retiring incumbent Rob Portman.[15] On February 3, 2022, Moreno dropped out of the race after reportedly meeting with former President Donald Trump.[16]

On April 10, 2023, Moreno filed paperwork to run for Ohio's Class I seat in the U.S. Senate up for election in 2024.[17] Donald Trump endorsed Moreno in December 2023.[18] Moreno won the Republican primary on March 19, 2024, defeating Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose.[19]

In the run-up to the Republican primary in March 2024, an Associated Press report found that an account on adult website Adult FriendFinder had been created by someone with access to Moreno's email, soliciting "men for 1-on-1 sex".[20] In a statement provided to the Associated Press by Moreno's lawyer, a former intern said he wrote the post and described it as an "aborted prank".[21]

Political positions

Abortion

Moreno opposes abortion, describing himself in a 2022 interview as "Absolute pro-life. No exceptions",[22] In 2023, Moreno's campaign revealed that he had personally donated $100,000 to Protect Women Ohio Fund, the campaign against Ohio's 2023 abortion-rights referendum.[23] At a March 2024 Republican primary debate, he voiced support for exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger.[24] At that debate, he also expressed support for access to contraception.[25] [26] He later expressed opposition to the Right to Contraception Act and said that he would have voted with U.S. Senate Republicans to block the bill. A spokesman said Moreno "supports comprehensive access to birth control for women but not the far-left gimmicks in this bill."[27] He supports a federal 15-week ban on abortions.[28] Moreno has argued against federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

LGBT community

Before his Senate campaign, he expressed support for the LGBT community, with his business sponsoring Cleveland and Akron's hosting of 2014 Gay Games. In a 2016 interview, Moreno credited the TV series Modern Family as having changed perceptions on gay marriage, noting that his eldest son was gay. During his 2024 Senate run, he accused LGBT activists of advancing a radical agenda of indoctrination.[29]

Energy

Moreno has said energy is a top priority, expressing support for using coal, and oil, extracting natural gas, as well as building more nuclear plants.[30]

Immigration

On immigration, Moreno has expressed support for building a wall on the United States Southern Border, deploying military personnel on the border, and designating Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Moreno has also repeatedly called for an end to birthright citizenship.[31] [32] In 2016, he expressed support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, saying "we need to help them come out of the shadows",[33] but now supports deporting them.[34]

Foreign policy

Moreno has called for an end to U.S. support for Ukraine in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. He has expressed support for Israel and has said Israel needs to "end Hamas — end it like we ended ISIS." After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Moreno argued Israel does not need any additional funding from the United States.[35]

Donald Trump

Moreno in 2016 described Trump as a "lunatic invading [the Republican Party]" and said he could not support a Republican Party led by "that maniac".[36] He wrote in a tweet that he had written in a vote for Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential election.[37] During a 2019 radio interview, Moreno said, "there's no scenario in which I would support Trump." In 2024, he said, "I wear with honor my endorsement from President Trump."[38]

Other positions

After the 2020 presidential election, Moreno criticized those denying the results of the election, but in 2021 expressed his belief that the election had been "stolen".

Moreno previously expressed support for background checks for gun owners and in a 2019 interview said "What gun do you need with 100 bullets in it?" When asked about these remarks, a spokesperson for his campaign said in 2024 it was "unequivocally" not his position today.

In 2023, Moreno said that reparations should be paid to the descendants of Civil War soldiers who helped to free slaves.[39]

Personal life

Moreno and his wife, Bridget, live in Westlake, Ohio, . The couple has four adult children.[40] His daughter Emily is married to congressman Max Miller.[41]

His brother, Luis Alberto Moreno, is a former Colombian Ambassador to the United States and is currently a Member of the Board of Trustees at the World Economic Forum.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Segall . Grant . 2018-09-24 . Bernie Moreno sells Mercedes, charter flights, a voting app and more: My Cleveland . 2024-03-20 . Cleveland.com . en.
  2. Web site: Tobias . Andrew J. . 2023-10-15 . Who is Bernie Moreno? Meet the Ohio car tycoon who could end up getting elected to the U.S. Senate . 2024-01-30 . Cleveland.com . en.
  3. Web site: 2015-04-23 . Sigma Phi Epsilon hosts renowned auto dealer and entrepreneur Bernie Moreno – April 27 . 2024-03-20 . Today at Elon . en.
  4. Web site: Allard . Sam . October 10, 2018 . The Furious Saga of Bernie Moreno, Car Dealer Turned Tech Evangelist . 2024-03-19 . Cleveland Scene . en.
  5. Web site: Jennings . Jean . May 22, 2014 . Super Gophers Bernie and Tom . Motor Trend.
  6. Web site: White . Carol . 2015-05-01 . Banking on a New Customer Experience . 2024-03-20 . CBT News . en-US.
  7. Web site: Schoenberger . Robert . 2011-12-24 . Luxury car sales booming at Bernie Moreno's Collection Auto Group: Talk with the Boss . 2024-03-18 . Cleveland.com . en.
  8. Web site: Smith . Robert L. . 2014-12-24 . Super car dealer Bernie Moreno assumes leadership role in Hispanic community: 2015 People to Watch . 2024-03-18 . Cleveland.com . en.
  9. Web site: White . Carol . 2015-05-01 . Banking on a New Customer Experience . 2024-03-18 . CBT News . en-US.
  10. Web site: Bernie Moreno makes attempt to go from GOP donor to Ohio senator . 2024-03-20 . spectrumnews1.com . en.
  11. Web site: Bamforth . Emily . 2019-04-04 . Car mogul Bernie Moreno sells 7 franchises to focus on blockchain business . 2024-03-18 . Cleveland.com . en.
  12. Web site: Astolfi . Courtney . 2019-10-08 . Tech entrepreneur Bernie Moreno approved as MetroHealth trustee . 2024-03-19 . Cleveland.com . en.
  13. Web site: Metzger . Bryan . January 19, 2024 . Trump-backed Ohio Senate candidate shredded documents as he faced a lawsuit accusing him of wage theft . March 18, 2024 . . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2024-01-17 . Businessman Bernie Moreno, Trump's Senate pick in Ohio, faced discrimination lawsuits, the AP finds . 2024-03-20 . APNews.com . en.
  15. Web site: Eaton . Sabrina . 2021-04-06 . Car dealer and tech entrepreneur Bernie Moreno announces campaign for U.S. Senate in Ohio . 2024-01-30 . Cleveland.com. en.
  16. Web site: Ward . Myah . 2022-02-03 . Republican Bernie Moreno drops out of crowded Ohio Senate primary . 2024-01-30 . POLITICO . en.
  17. Web site: Gomez . Henry J. . 2023-04-10 . Second Republican files paperwork to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio . 2024-01-30 . NBC News . en.
  18. News: Bender . Michael C. Bender . Trump Endorses Bernie Moreno, Ex-Car Dealer, in Ohio Senate Race . The New York Times . December 19, 2023 . March 19, 2024.
  19. Web site: Bowden . John . 2024-03-20 . Car salesman Bernie Moreno wins Ohio Senate primary with Trump’s backing . 2024-03-20 . The Independent . en.
  20. Web site: 2024-03-14 . Trump-backed Senate candidate faces GOP worries that he could be linked to adult website profile . 2024-03-21 . AP News . en.
  21. News: Pengelly . Martin . 2024-03-15 . Ohio Republican candidate’s ex-intern says adult site post was a ‘prank’ . 2024-03-21 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  22. Web site: Valentine . Jesse . March 7, 2024 . Ohio senate candidate Bernie Moreno: "Absolute pro-life no exceptions." . March 18, 2024 . American Journal News . en-US.
  23. https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/07/in-ohio-gop-us-senate-race-frank-larose-asks-his-rivals-for-1-million-each-backing-state-issue-1.html
  24. Web site: February 23, 2024 . Ohio GOP Senate candidates pitch federal abortion bans even after voters protected reproductive rights . March 20, 2024 . . en . And while Dolan and Moreno both say they support exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is in jeopardy, LaRose, who brags that his anti-abortion record 'is not something I run away from,' is tougher to pin down..
  25. Web site: Sanderson . Emily . 2024-03-18 . Key moments from the final Ohio Republican Senate debate before primary . 2024-03-20 . WLWT . en.
  26. Web site: Patel . Olivia . Stumbaugh . Taylor . March 7, 2024 . Ohio U.S. senator candidates debate abortion, Trump and more at Miami . March 20, 2024 . The Miami Student . en-US.
  27. Web site: Wilkinson . Howard . 2024-06-13 . Analysis: Reproductive rights, settled by Ohioans last fall, is a key issue in Senate race . 2024-08-15 . WVXU . NPR Network . en.
  28. Web site: Gomez . Henry J. . February 23, 2024 . Ohio GOP Senate candidates pitch federal abortion bans even after voters protected reproductive rights . March 18, 2024 . . en.
  29. Web site: 2024-03-14 . Trump-backed Senate candidate faces GOP worries that he could be linked to adult website profile . 2024-03-20 . . en.
  30. Web site: Andrew Miller . Paul Steinhauser . 2024-03-19 . Trump's endorsements hailed as 'most powerful...in modern political history' after victories in OH, IL, CA . 2024-03-21 . Fox News . en-US.
  31. Web site: Adam . Shaw . Andrew . Murray . January 27, 2022 . Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno wins endorsement from Border Patrol union . March 20, 2024 . . en-US.
  32. Web site: Evans . Nick . November 27, 2023 . 'Send me reinforcements': U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance urges central Ohio Republicans to back Bernie Moreno . . March 20, 2024 . en-US.
  33. Web site: Robbins . Jeremy . 2016-08-11 . Immigrant Auto Dealership CEO Wants a Merit-Based Immigration System . 2024-03-20 . New American Economy . en-US.
  34. Web site: Bemiller . Haley . Who is Bernie Moreno? Republican taking on Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall . https://web.archive.org/web/20240320022115/https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/01/28/who-is-bernie-moreno-meet-the-trump-backed-ohio-senate-candidate/72234222007/ . March 20, 2024 . 2024-03-20 . Cincinnati.com.
  35. Web site: Evans . Nick . 2023-10-16 . Ohio's Republican U.S. Senate candidates clash over foreign policy in first forum • Ohio Capital Journal . 2024-03-20 . Ohio Capital Journal . en-US.
  36. Web site: Gomez . Henry J. . 2021-04-13 . Ohio Republican Senate candidate running as a Trump ally once called him a 'maniac' . 2024-03-20 . NBC News . en.
  37. Web site: Kaczynski . Andrew . Steck . Em . 2024-02-02 . Trump-backed OH Senate candidate blamed him for Jan 6th in deleted posts, tied Trump’s popularity to "ignorance" CNN Politics . 2024-03-20 . CNN . en.
  38. Web site: Ohio Senate GOP primary: Trump-backed Bernie Moreno touts America First populism . 2024-03-20 . spectrumnews1.com . en.
  39. Web site: Bemiller . Haley . April 24, 2023 . Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno suggests reparations for descendants of Union soldiers . 2024-03-19 . Cincinnati Enquirer . en-US.
  40. Web site: Three Republicans on Ohio’s primary ballot battle to face U.S. Sen. Brown in November . 2024-03-20 . Dayton Daily News . English.
  41. Web site: Eaton . Sabrina . 2021-06-24 . GOP congressional candidate Max Miller is engaged to Emily Moreno, daughter of U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno . 2024-03-20 . Cleveland.com . en.