Ohio GOP Senate primary offers an early test of Trump's endorsement strength

• The winner of Ohio's closely-watched Republican Senate primary Tuesday will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November, for the chance to flip a key Senate seat in a red state.
• Polls show Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan in the top two spots in the race. Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine endorsed Dolan.
• The Senate primary is viewed as an early bellwether to test the strength of Trump's endorsement in 2024, after his handpicked candidates underperformed in 2020 and 2022.

Ohio voters are at the polls Tuesday to choose a Republican challenger to incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. The competitive Senate seat in a red state is considered a must-win for Republicans who hope to regain control of the chamber in November.

The race will also serve as an early measure of how much Donald Trump's MAGA seal of approval is worth in a year when Trump once again tops the Republican ticket.

Once a three-man race, by Tuesday the contest was down to two leading candidates: State Sen. Matt Dolan, who was endorsed by Ohio's popular Republican governor, Mike DeWine. Businessman Bernie Moreno is a strong contender, boosted by an endorsement form Donald Trump.

Ohio, a largely white working-class state that has historically held purple-state status, has reddened over the past few years. In 2020, President Joe Biden became the first president since 1960 to win the presidential general election without winning Ohio.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose is also in the race, but LaRose has fallen behind in recent weeks, surrendering an early lead. Despite his name recognition, LaRose lost momentum in part because Dolan and Moreno were able to self-fund their own campaigns.

Dolan's family owns the