Bernie Moreno

Bernardo Moreno (/məriːnoʊ/ mər-EE-no; born February 14, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2025 as the senior United States senator from Ohio.

A member of the Republican Party, he is one of the first two Colombian American U.S. senators, along with Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who took office the same day.

In 2005 he moved to Ohio, where he ran several car dealerships, mostly in Greater Cleveland, before becoming involved in blockchain companies in the late 2010s.

[1][2] His father, Bernardo Moreno Mejía, was a physician and held high-ranking positions in the Colombian government.

[5] After it was publicized that his Cleveland Foundation boardmember bio falsely said that he also had a Master of Business Administration degree, his Senate campaign blamed the error on "a staffer who made a mistake".

[22] In April 2021, Moreno entered the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to replace the retiring incumbent Rob Portman.

[1] In a statement Moreno's lawyer provided to the Associated Press, a former intern said he wrote the post and called it an "aborted prank".

[30] At a March 2024 Republican primary debate, he voiced support for exceptions for rape, incest and when the woman's life is in danger.

A spokesman said Moreno "supports comprehensive access to birth control for women but not the far-left gimmicks in this bill.

[35] Before his Senate campaign, Moreno expressed his support for the LGBT community, with his business sponsoring the hosting of the 2014 Gay Games by Cleveland and Akron.

In a 2016 interview, Moreno credited the TV series Modern Family as having changed perceptions on same-sex marriage, noting that his eldest son is gay.

[36] Moreno has said energy is a top priority, expressing support for using coal, and oil, extracting natural gas, as well as building more nuclear plants.

[49] His brother, Luis Alberto Moreno, is a former Colombian Ambassador to the United States and is currently a member of the board of trustees at the World Economic Forum.

Moreno speaking at the 2023 Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida .
Moreno with fellow incoming Republican senators meeting Sen. Mitch McConnell , November 2024