Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes PAC Condemns Radical Anti-Equality Ohio Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno

WASHINGTON - March 20, 2024 - Last night, extreme anti-equality politician Bernie Moreno won Ohio's Republican U.S. Senate primary. Moreno is a self-serving and radical politician who will say and do anything to get elected-including spreading hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ Ohioans and embracing policies that take away Ohioans' freedoms:

• Moreno supported the ban on health care for transgender youth that was vetoed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, and baselessly suggested this care was being provided because it's "big business" for Ohio hospitals [Bernie Moreno Charlie Kirk Show, 1/8/24]
• Moreno is endorsed by Ohio Value Voters, who oppose marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights [Associated Press, 3/14/24]
• Moreno accused his primary opponents of supporting a "radical trans agenda" and a super PAC supporting Moreno ran a TV ad calling one of his primary opponents a "champion for trans equality" because he supported a bill that provided nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people (a bill that Moreno's own company previously supported) [Associated Press, 3/14/24]
• Moreno backs a federal abortion ban and vehemently opposed Issue 1 (a ballot referendum to protect access to abortion in Ohio's constitution), saying it would "open the door" to transgender people receiving healthcare [Bernie Moreno on RestoreLiberty.US, 10/14/2023]. Ohioans soundly rejected Moreno's position, passing Issue 1 by a 13-point margin.
• Moreno said people who support transgender students playing sports "hate this country" and he believes schools are "indoctrinating" our kids [Bernie Moreno On Raw With Mindy And Boots, OH, 03/03/24].

Geoff Wetrosky, Vice President of National Campaigns at the Human Rights Campaign, released the following statement:

"Bernie Moreno's willingness to attack LGBTQ+ Ohioans for political gain shows the depth of his extremism and the shallowness of his character. It's clear he has fully embraced an extremist brand of politics that spreads hate and seeks to take away freedoms from Ohioans-from health care to marriage equality-at every turn. His anti-equality, anti-abortion record puts him squarely on the wrong side of Ohio voters-including many members of his own party-a choice he'll pay for at the ballot box in November. The Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes PAC will make sure of it."

HRC's Equality Votes PAC will be mobilizing the more than two million Ohio Equality Voters-voters modeled to prioritize LGBTQ+ equality when making their voting decisions-from now until November to ensure they know about Moreno's dangerous record and understand what's at stake for LGBTQ+ people in Ohio and across the country.

Paid for by HRC Equality Votes PAC (www.hrc.org).

Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.