'Sound the alarm': Republicans poised to lose Senate race in red state due to 'silver bullet' issue

Ohio is no longer a swing state. Donald Trump won it in 2016 and 2020 by comfortable margins, and the Buckeye State has both a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled legislature. But the issue of abortion could mean Republicans fail once again to oust longtime Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in 2024.

Abortion rights proved to be the GOP's Achilles' heel in Ohio in 2023, with 56% of voters across the state passing Issue One, which permanently established the right of pregnant individuals to access abortion care in the state's constitution. According to the Daily Beast, a majority of voters in 18 Ohio counties that Donald Trump won in 2020 also sided with abortion rights.

"Looking at the result of Issue One, we have to sound the alarm," a Republican operative speaking anonymously told the Beast.

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"Ohio Democrats have found their silver bullet to run 10 points ahead of Joe Biden in the Ohio suburbs," they added. "[Democrats'] silver bullet is Republicans being dumb enough to nominate undisciplined, gaffe-prone abortion extremists who will spend the general election on the defensive. It gives Sherrod Brown a fighting chance."

Currently, two of Sen. Brown's three Republican opponents — entrepreneur Bernie Moreno and Secretary of State Frank LaRose — have taken hardline stances against abortion rights. Moreno has advocated for an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and LaRose has also endorsed the idea of a national abortion ban. Republican state Sen. Matt Dolan has only said that the abortion issue should be decided by the states. Moreno appears to be the early frontrunner in the Republican primary, capturing the endorsement of Trump acolyte Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

Following Issue One's victory at the polls earlier this month, Sen. Brown told MSNBC he plans to make abortion a front-and-center issue in the 2024 election.

"My three opponents, there are three Republicans running for the Senate seat … all of them have said they want a national abortion ban," Brown said. "We’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen. And that’s really my mission for the next 12 months."

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According to RealClearPolitics' current polling averages for Ohio's US Senate race in 2024, Brown is predicted to prevail against both Dolan and Moreno, while tying with LaRose.