Democrat Poll Shows Sherrod Brown Virtually Tying Nearly All Potential Republican Challengers

WASHINGTON - MAY 16: Chairman Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, conducts the Senate Banking Hous
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Hannah Knudsen

Incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is virtually tying nearly all of his potential Republican challengers, a recent Democrat survey revealed.

The Data for Progress survey found Brown, who is running for his fourth term in the Buckeye State, in a statistical tie with most of his potential Republican primary challengers.

The survey showed Brown tying Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose with 46 percent each. Brown leads Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan by one point — 47 percent to 46 percent — and businessman Bernie Moreno by three points — 47 percent to 44 percent. However, both gaps are well within the survey’s +/- 4 percent margin of error.

Brown’s lead over Joel Mutchler fell outside of that margin, with a five-point gap:

The survey was taken from October 31 to November 2, 2023, among 597 likely 2024 general election voters.

Ohio Republicans will decide which candidate they desire to challenge Brown head-on during the March 19 primary, but the battle has only continued to heat up as Election Day draws closer.

Moreno has attempted to differentiate himself from his GOP competitors by outlining his position that the U.S. must have an “absolute zero tolerance policy” on illegal immigration.

“We have encouraged for decades, illegal immigration on one side and then said we’re against it on the other side. Because by doing that, we have broken the legal immigration system,” Moreno said during a candidate forum, which he has used in the past to expose the amnesty support of both LaRose and Dolan.

The primary became even uglier in November after the LaRose campaign was accused of essentially threatening former President Donald Trump into an endorsement.

As Breitbart News detailed:

Declaration of candidacy and signed petitions are due December 20, and Moreno has filed for paperwork to formally appear on the ballot for the Buckeye State’s Republican primary race, taking place March 19, 2024. Due to his current position as Secretary of State, LaRose’s office is innately involved with working the boards of elections to “ensure the voter signatures on candidates’ petitions are valid,” per the Columbus Dispatch. As a result, Moreno’s campaign is asking LaRose and staffers to recuse themselves from the verification process due to the risk that he could use his office for political gain by “unfairly denying his political opponents access to the ballot or seeking retribution.”

Moreno campaign manager David DiStefano pointed to what essentially amounted to a “threat” issued by someone the HuffPost described as “a source close to LaRose’s campaign.”

That source reportedly said, “If you are the president and you are fighting four legal battles, most of them centered around the validity of the election — and you’re most likely going to be on the general election ballot in a state you cannot win the White House without — are you going to do anything to antagonize the guy counting the votes?”

Breitbart News reached out to the LaRose campaign at the time asking for clarification but did not receive a response.

RELATED — U.S. Republican Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno: Trump’s ‘Gonna Be Our Nominee’

Jack Knudsen / Breitbart News

This week, Moreno launched a $2 million swift ad highlighting his support of Trump, as his campaign identifies him as the “only pro-Trump, America First conservative, and political outsider in this race.”

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