Ohio
Trump could face a rare defeat in the chaotic Ohio GOP Senate primary by someone he calls the 'next Mitt Romney'
In recent days, former President Donald Trump has found himself locked in a proxy showdown with establishment GOP figures in Ohio.
He might lose.
Trump flew into Dayton on Saturday afternoon for a last-minute rally for Bernie Moreno, a former car dealership owner who’s locked in a contentious primary for US Senate against state Sen. Matt Dolan, a more traditional Republican backed by Gov. Mike DeWine and former Sen. Rob Portman.
Some recent polls have even shown Dolan — who has distanced himself from Trump’s rhetoric and supports US aid to Ukraine — in the lead. That’s prompted an 11th-hour push from Trump and his allies to brand Dolan as a “RINO,” or “Republican in Name Only.”
“He’s trying to become the next Mitt Romney,” Trump told rally attendees on Saturday, referring to the Utah senator who’s long been a critic of the former president. “I think Mitt Romney is his hero.”
DeWine, meanwhile, called Moreno the “weakest candidate” in the primary after a Democratic super PAC began spending more than $3.1 million on TV and digital ads boosting Moreno among GOP primary voters, an unusually high proportion of whom remain undecided.
It’s the latest example of Democrats meddling in primaries to try to elevate the candidate they believe will be the easiest to defeat in the general election. Whoever prevails in Tuesday’s primary will face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in a race that could determine control of the US Senate.
Yet the chaotic three-way race — in which Moreno, Dolan, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose have lobbed insults at one another for months — has also raised the possibility that whoever emerges from the primary will be significantly weakened in the general election.
A burgeoning scandal and a potential rare defeat for Trump
Trump’s appearance came just days after the Associated Press reported that Moreno’s work email was linked to a short-lived profile that sought “Men for 1-on-1 sex” on an adult dating website in 2008. Moreno’s campaign has blamed the incident on a prank by an intern and suggested that Dolan’s campaign planted the story.
It remains unclear what impact, if any, the story will have on the primary. Moreno made no mention of it in his remarks at the rally, and several voters who spoke with Business Insider said they were unaware of it. Other speakers only made allusions to the controversy as they defended Moreno.
“They lie about people who are fighters,” said Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, who traveled to Ohio to campaign for Moreno as she seemingly auditions to be Trump’s vice presidential pick. “Look at what they’ve done, and how they lied about Bernie… this last week.”
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
The primary is ending largely as a two-man race between Moreno and Dolan, with LaRose’s political standing having gradually eroded in part due to his association with a failed campaign in August to make it harder to amend the state constitution. On Saturday, Trump didn’t even mention LaRose.
Yet when it comes to contentious primaries, Ohio is largely the exception to the rule.
After a 2022 midterm cycle that included a retribution campaign against several House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after January 6, this cycle has seen the former president consolidating his control over the party, even as he’s faced his own primary challengers.
That’s meant working more hand-in-glove with figures like Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, who’s tasked with reclaiming the Senate majority as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and has been eager to avoid a repeat of 2022, when Republicans were saddled with unpopular Trump-backed nominees and failed to retake the Senate.
In Montana and Michigan, Trump has backed candidates recruited by the NRSC but had few ties to the former president or his political orbit. On the other hand, Senate Republicans have largely embraced Trump acolyte Kari Lake, despite her losing — and refusing to concede — the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race.
Yet the NRSC opted against picking a candidate in Ohio, believing that any of the three candidates running could defeat Brown in November.
The result is a campaign that’s unusually emblematic of the divisions that have beset the Republican Party since Trump’s rise, even as he’s remade the party in his image.
‘His political style? It’s not me’
While Dolan is by no means a moderate on policy matters, Dolan differs from most of the contemporary MAGA base on two major issues — he supports continued US aid to Ukraine, and he has forcefully said in the past that Trump lied about the 2020 election. During the most recent debate, Dolan affirmed his support for the former president’s policies and said he supports Trump as the nominee, but he went out of his way to distance himself stylistically.
“Look, his personality? It’s not me,” said Dolan. “His political style? It’s not me.”
Dolan is also a partial owner of the Cleveland Guardians and comes from a wealthy family, allowing him to contribute millions of dollars to his own campaign. On Tuesday, Dolan poured in another $1 million.
“My attitude is: anybody that changes the name of the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians should not be a senator,” Trump said of Dolan at the rally, referring to the 2021 name change.
Moreno has taken the exact opposite approach, hugging Trump as tightly as possible, going out of his way to defend his character, and pitching himself as a loyal vote for Trump in the Senate.
The former president endorsed Moreno — who also ran for Senate in 2022 before dropping out and endorsing now-Sen. JD Vance — in December after Vance and a coterie of other MAGA-aligned figures coalesced behind him.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
On Saturday, speakers at the rally had relatively little to say about Moreno himself, beyond passing mentions of his business career and the fact that Trump has endorsed him.
“President Trump wants Bernie,” said Noem, adding that “should be enough reason” for rally attendees to convince their friends to vote for Moreno.
“You’re gonna want President Trump in Ohio a lot,” Noem later said. “He’s gonna come here a lot if you get Bernie to be the victor on Tuesday.”
Ultimately, Trump and his allies appear to be betting that the last-minute show of force will convince Trump-friendly undecided GOP voters to pull the lever for Moreno.
“I know Trump supports Moreno, so that’s probably who I’ll vote for,” Kimberly Curtis, a 58-year-old resident of Troy, Ohio told Business Insider at the rally. “I don’t really pay that close attention to the Senate stuff, it’s more the presidential stuff.”
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Friday, July 3
Downtown Columbus: Billed as the Midwest’s largest fireworks show, Red, White & BOOM! takes place along the Scioto Mile. The fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Bexley: Festivities at Capital University begin at 6:00 p.m., with a fireworks display starting at 10:00 p.m.
Buckeye Lake: The Buckeye Lake Area Star Spangled Tradition (BLASST) fireworks display will take place at approximately 10:00 p.m. The primary viewing area is at Fairfield Beach, Lake Shore Drive NE, Thornville.
Canal Winchester: First Friday at Loose Rail Brewing will feature a fireworks show at approximately 9:00 p.m. The brewery will also show Red, White & BOOM! on big screens.
Gahanna: Activities start at 5:00 p.m. at the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course and the fireworks show is at 10:00 p.m.
Newark: Central Ohio Technical College and Ohio State Newark campus will host festivities with live music and food trucks at the Martha Grace Reese Amphitheatre, culminating with a fireworks display at dusk (approximately 10:00 p.m.).
Pickerington: The city’s fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m.
Reynoldsburg: Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. at Civic Park, with fireworks starting at 9:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 4
Chillicothe: Fireworks are scheduled to begin at approximately 9:45 PM from the Yoctangee Park Annex.
Circleville: AMVETS Post 2256 will host food trucks, live music, and a fireworks display after dark.
Clintonville: Whetstone Park of Roses hosts a live music event followed by fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
Delaware: Fireworks will launch from the city’s Cherry Street property at 10:00 p.m.
Dublin: Independence Day Celebration activities wrap up with fireworks at 9:50 p.m. at Dublin Coffman High School.
Grove City: Fireworks will launch from Murfin Fields at 9:45 p.m.
Hilliard: Freedom Fest takes place at Roger Reynolds Municipal Park with fireworks starting around 9:45 p.m.
Lancaster: A full day of celebrations culminates with fireworks at dusk at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.
Marysville: Fireworks at approximately 9:00 p.m. at the Union County Fairgrounds.
New Albany: The July 4th Festival ends with fireworks at 10:00 p.m. at New Albany High School.
Upper Arlington: The annual Party in the Park begins at 5:00 p.m. at Northam Park, followed by fireworks at 10:00 p.m.
Westerville: Evening festivities and food trucks can be found at the Westerville Sports Complex until the fireworks show begins at 10:00 p.m.
Worthington: The city’s celebration concludes with fireworks launched from Thomas Worthington High School at 10:00 p.m.
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