Bernie Moreno, a businessman who has never held elected office and ran with backing from former President Donald Trump, unseated three-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, toppling the Ohio Democratic Party’s most reliable vote-getter and highest-ranking officeholder. 

With Moreno’s victory – and Donald Trump’s third win in the Buckeye State – Republicans solidify their hold over Ohio. The GOP appears poised to sweep the three Ohio Supreme Court races, leaving Justice Jennifer Brunner as the only Democrat remaining in statewide office. By capturing seats in Ohio, West Virginia, and Montana, the GOP has retaken control of the Senate.

Moreno, who emigrated from Colombia with his family when he was a child, becomes Ohio’s first Hispanic senator. He told supporters Tuesday night the United States was witnessing a “new dawn of Republican leadership” – one that would be “pro-immigration but not pro-invasion.” 

He took the stage at his watch party in Westlake after 11 p.m. Tuesday night, flanked by his children and with his siblings looking on. The crowd, which included many wearing Donald Trump hats, roared and applauded.

“What we need in the United States of America is leaders in Washington, D.C., that actually put the interest of American citizens above all else,” Moreno said. “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.”

Election results for U.S. Senate

The Republican businessman aimed some of his remarks at teachers unions. He said that American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten “should be packing her bags.” Moreno said he would advocate for “school choice for all Americans.” 

He also thanked Trump, who at the time was on his way to winning the presidential contest against Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s endorsement of Moreno in the GOP primary helped catapult the candidate to victory this spring. 

“President Trump, if you’re watching, thank you,” Moreno said. “Thank you for being decisive in my primary. Thank you for being the greatest president of my generation and thank you for the sacrifices that you’ve made for this country. This country owes Donald J. Trump a debt of gratitude.” 

The Brown-Moreno race was the country’s most expensive non-presidential election. It attracted $477 million in campaign ad spending, according to AdImpact, fueling a nonstop run of largely negative television ads. The spending was roughly evenly split, although Republicans outspent Democrats slightly in the race, thanks to a late injection of money from Defend American Jobs, a PAC affiliated with the cryptocurrency exchange industry.

Brown, in his third term in the Senate, tried to stretch a populist economic message as far as he could across party lines. He campaigned with union members and made appearances in parts of Ohio that have drifted toward Trump over the last eight years. He highlighted the Republicans who crossed the aisle to endorse him, including the sheriff of Wood County and former Gov. Bob Taft. 

In a concession speech just after 11:30 pm, Brown said, “This is a disappointment but not a failure.”

Surrounded by his wife, columnist Connie Schultz, and his daughters, he pledged to never stop fighting for workers or women’s rights. As Brown conceded, Bruce Springteen’s “We take care of our own” played on the loud speakers.

On TV, ads funded by a political action committee tied to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hammered Brown over the issue of transgender athletes. The Democratic senator had voted to defeat a GOP amendment that would have banned federal funding for schools that allowed transgender athletes in women’s sports. 

Moreno, meanwhile, tied himself closely to Trump and other figures on the right. He campaigned against both Brown and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. In the race’s closing days, Donald Trump Jr. and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson each visited Ohio to rally the Republican base for Moreno. 

A businessman who ran a chain of luxury car dealerships, Moreno defended his business record against attacks from Brown and Democratic allies – who called attention to lawsuits Moreno’s companies faced over the years. 

With the defeat of Brown, the Democratic Party has just one remaining statewide office holder, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner, who was not up for re-election this year.

Ohio Democrats, however, celebrated modest victories at their election night party in Columbus. they flipped a GOP-held state Senate district in Franklin County while flipping two Republican-held House districts near Columbus and Toledo. They will remain in the super minority though, and several more races remain too close to call.

Signal Statewide’s Andrew Tobias contributed to this report from Columbus.