Republican Bernie Moreno elected to US Senate in Ohio, Edison Research projects

U.S. Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno (R-OH) speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024. Jeenah Moon/File Photo

Republican businessman and political novice Bernie Moreno was elected to the U.S. Senate in Ohio, Edison Research projected on Tuesday, ousting moderate Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in a state that has become increasingly Republican in recent years.

Moreno, 57, closely allied himself with Republican former President Donald Trump and during his campaign promised to work to slash government regulations and spending, wage a battle against Mexican drug cartels and securing U.S. borders.

It was his second run for Senate after a 2022 campaign that he cut short, leading to the eventual victory of Republican JD Vance, now Trump's running mate.

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Moreno's family brought him to the U.S. at age five and he become a citizen at 18. Trump has called him a "MAGA fighter."

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)