Most Expensive Senate Race In The Country Gives Dem Barely One Point Lead In Polls

Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown holds a slim lead while outspending his Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno, nearly four-to-one in one of the most expensive Senate races this cycle.

Ohio’s Senate race is currently the most expensive in the country, totaling $425,802,726 including outside spending, according to OpenSecrets data. Brown is currently leading by 1 percentage point at 47.4% to Moreno’s 46.4%, according to polling averages by RealClear Polling.

Brown’s campaign has spent significantly more than his Republican challenger in this election cycle, spending $86,050,236 compared to Moreno’s $21,310,662, according to OpenSecrets data released Oct. 16. Outside spending for Moreno hit $153,978,150 as of Oct. 16, compared to $136,808,157 in outside spending for Brown, according to OpenSecrets.

The Ohio Democrat recently started backpedaling his previous support for some of President Joe Biden’s Green New Deal policies. Brown was also one of several Democratic lawmakers to call for Biden to step down from the presidential race before Biden withdrew and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on July 21.

Former President Donald Trump won Ohio by 51% in the 2016 election, according to News 5 Cleveland. Trump increased his margin of victory in 2020 when 53% of Ohio voters cast their ballot for the presidential candidate, according to News 5 Cleveland.

Trump is leading in Ohio by 6.9 percentage points at 51.3% to Harris’ 44.4%, according to polling averages from RealClear Polling. The GOP presidential candidate is also ahead of his Democratic opponent nationally by 0.3 percentage points, with Trump at 48.4% and Harris at 48.1%, according to RealClear Polling polling averages.

Brown’s office and Moreno’s campaign both did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.