Ohio’s US Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno, fresh off his defeat of longtime Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), told business leaders that he's ready to get to work. Moreno, who vows to only serve two terms maximum, said he will work to help President-elect Trump accomplish his agenda.
Moreno said the way he sees it, Trump has a mandate from voters.
“We haven’t seen an election like this in a long time, since back in the 80’s - 312 electoral votes. He won the popular vote. It wasn’t close. He won every single swing state," Moreno said.
Moreno said he and Trump want to deport illegal immigrants and lower government spending, and that those ideas appeal to Ohioans. He said he'd also like to end the temporary protected status of Haitian immigrants in Springfield. He said that's not good for business anyway.
“You can't run a business without knowing you are going to have employees. Just think about how crazy that is. Temporary protective status ends in February of 2026. So if you are running a business, what is your plan in March of 2026?” Moreno asked.
Moreno said it's also not fair to allow employees from one nationality to come in and work when others from another nation are denied.
Gov. Mike DeWine has said deportations in Springfield would reverse positive economic progress in the city.
Moreno said he thinks Democrats have gone too far to the left in recent years. And while he said there are people on the far right in the Republican party, he said his views, as well as Trump’s, are moderate.
“President Trump, by partisan metrics, is a very moderate Republican. He’s a very centrist Republican. And I think that's why he's gotten this mandate,” Moreno said.
Moreno said he will bring a business perspective to the Senate that is needed to help companies expand and thrive in Ohio. But his first priority is to hire staff.
"I want to build the greatest staff in United States Senate history. I'm very greedy. I want all of the great people working for me," Moreno said.
Moreno said he plans to be "totally and completely accountable to the people of the state of Ohio." And he promised to be accessible to the media on a regular basis.
