Bernie Moreno

Bernardo Moreno (born February 14, 1967) is a Colombian-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. His father worked as a surgical assistant, and his mother was a real estate agent. Moreno became a US citizen at age 18.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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. Donald Trump endorsed Moreno in December 2023. Moreno won the Republican primary on March 19, 2024, defeating Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose.

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". 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".

Abortion
Moreno opposes abortion, describing himself as "Absolute pro-life. No exceptions." He has also expressed support for exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger. He supports a federal 15-week ban on abortions. Moreno has argued against federal funding of Planned Parenthood. He supports access to contraception.

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.

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.

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. In 2016, he expressed support for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, saying "we need to help them come out of the shadows", but now supports deporting them.

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.

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". He wrote in a tweet that he had written in a vote for Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential election. During a 2019 radio interview said, "there's no scenario in which I would support Trump." In 2024 Moreno said, "I wear with honor my endorsement from President Trump."

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.

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

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.