Trump, immigration, MAGA and more: How Ohio Republicans are weighing their Senate choice

WINTERSVILLE, Ohio — Wesley Starr, 73, is still not sure who he is going to vote for in Ohio’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

“I’m impressed by all three candidates. I like all three of them,” he told NBC News at the Jefferson County Lincoln Day dinner.

Voters like Starr may well decide a close race for the GOP nomination to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown later this year. It’s one of the most important Senate races around the country, and Republican voters are weighing factors including businessman Bernie Moreno’s endorsement from former President Donald Trump and other MAGA personalities, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s record in office and military experience, and state Sen. Matt Dolan’s attempt to balance his appeal to those who want a different version of the Republican Party while still showing support for Trump.

NBC News talked with more than 30 Republican and independent voters across Ohio in the last week to get a sense of what matters to them as they choose a nominee.

“[Moreno] is supported by Donald Trump, which gives him a leg up in this particular race, but both LaRose and Dolan have very strong, strong profiles and good experience,” Starr said. By the end of his conversation with NBC News, he said he was leaning towards voting for Moreno because of that endorsement.

As he has in many other state and local elections since 2016, Trump looms large. Brian Kolkowski, who says Trump had his vote starting in June of 2015, says Trump’s endorsement of Moreno “made a big difference” for him.

“I want to support Trump. I want to make sure that he has the team in place to be able to actually change law,” he said.

Moreno has made a concerted effort to align himself with Trump and members of the MAGA