Moreno, Shapiro address Putnam County GOP

OTTAWA — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno stuck to his message, for the most part, Thursday night in Ottawa, but guest speaker at the Putnam County GOP’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner Ben Shapiro said the race against incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will come down to slim margins.

Enthusiasm was high at the dinner as the race for president is tight and Brown leads several polls.

“It makes an enormous difference whether (Moreno) is in the Senate,” Shapiro said at the VIP event prior to his speech at the dinner. “Because I think Donald Trump will win the presidency, and he’s going to need Moreno in the Senate. We need a sizable and durable majority.”

Moreno compared his schedule of visits across the state to Brown’s.

“Sherrod Brown probably hasn’t been to Putnam County in 30 years,” the Cleveland area businessman said. “This is not a place he normally comes, and the reality is I’ll represent all of Ohio. (Brown) only wants to represent Cleveland.”

Moreno called Putnam County the most conservative place in Ohio as he stumped and introduced Shapiro.

“We’re going to win because people are sick and tired of the status quo,” he said. “They’re sick and tired of the high prices, the open borders, the instability all over the world and the assault on American energy. It’s going to be tough because Brown is raising money from all kinds of special interest groups all over America, but we feel confident we’re peaking at the right time, and we just urge everybody to vote early.”

Shapiro called Brown out for voting with President Biden 98 percent of the time and warned of a complete restructuring of the government if former President Trump loses the election.

“Donald Trump is the single most successful foreign policy president of my life,” he said, recounting a story Trump told of threatening to bomb Russia in response to an invasion of Ukraine. “The foreign policy of the Biden administration has been cowardice.”

Brown’s presence in the area has largely consisted of union support in Allen County, with the Lima UAW holding multiple press conferences and rallies calling out Moreno for a host of transgressions (bit.ly/3TbWaoT).

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.