Bernie Moreno

Bernie Moreno
Official portrait, 2025
Bernie Moreno
Born	Bernardo Moreno 14 2, 1967
Birthplace	Bogotá, Colombia
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, businessman
Title	United States Senator from Ohio
Known for	Senior U.S. Senator from Ohio; automobile dealership executive; blockchain entrepreneur
Education	University of Michigan (BBA)
Spouse(s)	Bridget Moreno
Children	4
Website	[http://berniemoreno.com/ Official site]

Bernardo "Bernie" Moreno (born February 14, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from Ohio since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, Moreno defeated three-term Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in the 2024 Senate election, one of the most closely watched races of that cycle. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Moreno immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Florida before attending the University of Michigan. He built a career in the automobile industry, operating multiple dealerships in the Greater Cleveland area, and later pivoted to blockchain technology ventures. Moreno first sought the Republican Senate nomination in 2022 but withdrew before the primary; he entered the race again in 2023 with the endorsement of former president Donald Trump. Upon taking office on January 3, 2025, he became Ohio's junior senator, and was elevated to senior senator just ten days later when JD Vance resigned to become Vice President of the United States. Moreno is the first Hispanic American senator from Ohio and one of the first two Colombian American U.S. senators, alongside Ruben Gallego of Arizona.

Early Life

Bernardo Moreno was born on February 14, 1967, in Bogotá, Colombia. His family immigrated to the United States when he was young, and he grew up in Florida. The Moreno family's immigration story became a central element of his later political identity; as a Colombian-born immigrant who became a naturalized American citizen, Moreno frequently referenced his family's experience in public life and on the campaign trail.

Moreno's upbringing in Florida provided the backdrop for his early education. Details about his parents' occupations and the specific circumstances of the family's departure from Colombia have been discussed in campaign materials but remain limited in independent reporting. What is established is that the family settled in the United States during Moreno's childhood and that he was raised in a Spanish-speaking household before becoming fluent in English.

His early life in the United States shaped what would become a career focused on business and entrepreneurship. Before entering the automobile industry, Moreno pursued higher education in Michigan, a move that would eventually connect him to the broader Midwest region where he would build both his business empire and his political career.

Education

Moreno attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). His time at the University of Michigan provided him with formal training in business management and finance, which he would later apply to his career in automobile dealerships and technology ventures. The university connection also gave Moreno ties to the Midwest that would prove significant when he relocated to Ohio in 2005 to pursue business opportunities in the Cleveland area.

Career

Automobile Dealership Business

After completing his education at the University of Michigan, Moreno embarked on a career in the automobile industry. In 2005, he moved to Ohio, where he would build a significant presence in the car dealership business, primarily in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area.

Moreno's dealership operations focused heavily on luxury and high-end vehicles. By 2011, his luxury car sales were reported to be thriving, with his dealerships attracting buyers from across the region. His reputation in the automobile sector continued to grow, and by 2014, Moreno was recognized as a prominent "super car dealer" in the Cleveland business community.

Moreno also became known within the automobile industry for his focus on customer experience and innovation in dealership operations. He was profiled by automotive trade publications, including CBT News, which highlighted his approach to reimagining the customer experience in car buying.

In 2019, Moreno sold seven franchises in North Olmsted, Ohio, signaling a shift in his business focus away from traditional automobile dealerships and toward technology ventures.

During Moreno's time in the automobile industry, a lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts involving allegations related to document shredding by an employee at one of his businesses. The matter was reported on by Business Insider in January 2024 during his Senate campaign.

Blockchain and Technology Ventures

In the late 2010s, Moreno shifted his business focus from automobile dealerships to blockchain technology. His 2019 sale of the North Olmsted franchises was explicitly tied to this pivot, with reporting at the time noting that he wished to devote his attention to blockchain-related ventures. Moreno's involvement in the emerging technology sector positioned him as an entrepreneur with interests beyond traditional industries, a persona he would later emphasize during his political campaigns.

Civic Engagement

Before entering electoral politics, Moreno was involved in civic activities in the Cleveland area. In October 2019, he was approved as a trustee of MetroHealth System, the public health system serving Cuyahoga County. This appointment reflected his growing profile in the Cleveland community and foreshadowed his interest in public service.

2022 Senate Campaign

Moreno first entered the political arena in April 2021, when he announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat in Ohio being vacated by retiring Republican senator Rob Portman. During the campaign, Moreno positioned himself as a political outsider with business experience. He sought to build support among Republican donors in Ohio and courted the conservative base of the party.

However, reporting from NBC News revealed that Moreno, who ran as a strong ally of Donald Trump, had previously made critical remarks about Trump. The candidate, who was campaigning as a Trump supporter, had once called Trump divisive, creating complications for his campaign narrative.

In February 2022, Moreno withdrew from the Republican primary race before voters went to the polls. The seat was ultimately won by JD Vance, who went on to serve as Ohio's junior senator before being elected vice president in 2024.

2024 Senate Campaign

In 2023, Moreno re-entered the political arena, this time seeking the Republican nomination to challenge three-term Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown, who was considered one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats in the 2024 cycle.

The Republican primary featured multiple candidates who clashed on issues including foreign policy during their first forum in October 2023.

A pivotal moment in the primary came in December 2023, when former president Donald Trump endorsed Moreno for the Senate seat. The endorsement was a significant boost in a Republican primary in Ohio, a state where Trump maintained strong support among the party base. Senator JD Vance, who held the state's other Senate seat at the time, also urged Ohio Republicans to support Moreno, publicly calling on them to "send me reinforcements" in the U.S. Senate.

During the primary, Moreno also received the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing U.S. Border Patrol agents, underscoring his emphasis on immigration as a campaign issue.

Abortion as a Campaign Issue

The issue of abortion featured prominently in the 2024 Ohio Senate race. Ohio voters had approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in November 2023, and the Republican Senate candidates' positions on federal abortion legislation became a focal point of debate. Moreno's stance on abortion drew scrutiny, with critics noting that his positions appeared to conflict with the expressed will of Ohio voters who had supported the ballot measure.

General Election Victory

In the November 2024 general election, Moreno defeated Sherrod Brown, ending the Democrat's 18-year tenure in the Senate. Brown had been one of the longest-serving Democrats in Ohio's recent political history, and his defeat was seen as part of a broader shift in Ohio's political landscape toward the Republican Party. Moreno took office on January 3, 2025, initially as Ohio's junior senator. Ten days later, when JD Vance resigned his Senate seat to be sworn in as Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2025, Moreno became Ohio's senior senator.

U.S. Senate Tenure

Since taking office, Moreno has engaged in legislative activity on multiple fronts. In January 2026, he was involved in bipartisan negotiations regarding the future of Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies that had lapsed. Moreno stated that Republicans would make their "best and final" offer after weeks of talks, and was described by Politico as part of "an unlikely new generation of Senate dealmakers" for his willingness to engage in cross-party negotiations on healthcare, arguing that reviving the subsidies would be "putting America first."

On immigration, a signature issue from his campaign, Moreno has continued to take hardline positions. In late January 2026, he stated publicly that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio—a community of approximately 15,000 Haitians in a city of fewer than 60,000 residents—"should have self-deported already."

In February 2026, Moreno introduced a Senate bill that would prohibit recipients of public assistance from sending money overseas, with violators facing fines. Moreno framed the legislation as targeting abuse of the welfare system, stating "abuse ends now."

Moreno also drew attention in February 2026 for his response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found certain tariffs imposed by President Trump to be unconstitutional. Rather than accepting the court's ruling, Moreno publicly attacked the Supreme Court, a stance that drew criticism from editorial writers and constituents in Ohio.

On matters of national security and foreign policy, Moreno has advocated for Mexico to request U.S. military assistance to combat drug cartels, particularly as violence in several Mexican locations intensified in early 2026.

The SAVE Act, a voting bill that would impose proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, has also been an issue associated with Moreno's tenure. Critics, including editorial writers at Cleveland.com, argued that the legislation would disproportionately affect married women who may have changed their names and face bureaucratic challenges in providing documentation.

Personal Life

Moreno is married to Bridget Moreno, and the couple have four children. The family resides in Ohio, where Moreno has lived since relocating from Florida in 2005 to pursue his automobile dealership business in the Cleveland area.

Moreno is a naturalized American citizen, having been born in Bogotá, Colombia, and immigrating to the United States as a child with his family. His Colombian heritage has been a notable aspect of his public identity; upon taking office, he became the first Hispanic American senator from Ohio and one of the first two Colombian American members of the United States Senate, along with Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona.

Recognition

Moreno's election to the U.S. Senate in 2024 was covered extensively as one of the most consequential races of the cycle, given that it involved the defeat of a three-term incumbent in a state that had been trending Republican in recent election cycles. His status as the first Hispanic American senator in Ohio's history was noted by multiple news organizations upon his election and swearing-in.

In the business world, Moreno had gained recognition in the Cleveland area for his automobile dealership empire and was profiled by both local and industry media outlets during the height of his business career. His appointment to the MetroHealth board of trustees in 2019 reflected his standing in the Greater Cleveland civic community prior to his entry into electoral politics.

During his 2024 Senate campaign, the endorsement from Donald Trump was treated as a significant development by national media, given Trump's influence in Republican primary politics and in Ohio specifically. The additional endorsement from the National Border Patrol Council further raised his national profile on the issue of immigration enforcement.

Since entering the Senate, Moreno's involvement in the bipartisan Affordable Care Act subsidy negotiations earned him coverage in Politico, which characterized him as an emerging figure in Senate deal-making circles—an unusual profile for a freshman senator.