(Bloomberg) -- One of the nine Republicans running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio said he was dropping out of the race after speaking with former President Donald Trump and deciding that so many “Trump candidates” in the race could hurt the party's chances of winning.
“After talking to President Trump, we both agreed this race has too many Trump candidates and could cost the MAGA movement a conservative seat,” Bernie Moreno said in a statement Thursday night, referring to Trump's “Make America Great Again” slogan and committing to support the candidate that he eventually endorses.
Moreno, 54, a car dealership owner and chairman of the technology company Ownum, had been running for the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Rob Portman, also a Republican, in one the key races this year that will determine which party controls the chamber.
The contest has been defined by most of the leading candidates vying to show who is most aligned with Trump. The former president has said he plans to make an endorsement but hasn't said when.
Trump, in a statement on Thursday night, thanked Moreno and said, “His decision will help ensure the MAGA Ticket wins BIG, as it is all over the country. Thank you, Bernie, for your support and keep fighting!”
Earlier: GOP Populists Dominate Ohio Senate Poll as Mandel, Vance Run 1-2
Other Republicans still in the race include former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel; venture capitalist and “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance; businessman Mike Gibbons; former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken; and state Senator Matt Dolan.
Democrats seeking their party's nomination include U.S. Representative Tim Ryan and Morgan Harper, a lawyer who worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the Obama administration.
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