Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno announces US Senate bid

CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland businessman whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia when he was a child said Tuesday he’ll campaign for the U.S. Senate seat that fellow Republican Rob Portman intends to leave next year.

Bernie Moreno’s announcement said he is joining the race because he wants “to stop the socialist agenda, protect the gains made by President Donald J. Trump, and protect the American Dream.”

Moreno, 54, is a political newcomer who made a name for himself in the Cleveland area as a luxury car dealer before turning his focus two years ago to his interest in blockchain — a ledger for recording cybercurrency transactions — and his related technology company.

Portman said in January that he won’t seek reelection in 2022. Those seeking to succeed him are eager for an endorsement from Trump, who twice won Ohio’s presidential electors by more than 8 percentage points.

Democrats weighing a run for the open Senate seat include U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a 10-term representative from the blue-collar Youngstown area, and Amy Acton, the former state health director who helped lead Ohio’s early COVID-19 response.