Moreno was born in Colombia to a family that soon immigrated to the United States, where he grew up in Florida. After attending the University of Michigan, he began a career in business. 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. He first sought office in 2022, when he ran for the U.S. Senate, but withdrew before the Republican primary.
Early life, family, and education
Moreno was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on February 14, 1967.[1][2] His father, Bernardo Moreno Mejía, was a physician and held high-ranking positions in the Colombian government. When Moreno was five, the family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was raised.[3] His father worked as a surgical assistant, and his mother was a real estate agent. Moreno became a U.S. citizen at age 18.[4]
He relocated to Ohio in 2005 and bought a Mercedes-Benz dealership in North Olmsted near Cleveland.[11][12][13] Moreno was the president of the Collection Auto Group, a car dealership company.[14] By 2016, he owned more than a dozen dealerships, mostly located in Ohio.[15] In 2019, he began to sell a number of his dealerships to focus on his new blockchain-based technology company, Ownum.[16]
In 2023, Moreno settled over a dozen wage theft lawsuits prior to launching his U.S. Senate campaign. He was ordered to pay over $400,000 to two former employees. He was rebuked by a state judge for shredding documents potentially related to the case.[21]
A March 2024 report found that Moreno had faced two lawsuits alleging gender and age-based discrimination; Moreno's campaign responded by saying both employees who sued him supported his Senate campaign.[22]
On April 10, 2023, Moreno filed paperwork to run for Ohio's Class I U.S. Senate seat in the 2024 election.[25] Donald Trump endorsed Moreno in December 2023.[26] Moreno won the Republican primary on March 19, 2024, defeating Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose.[27]
In the run-up to the Republican primary in March 2024, an Associated Press report found that an account on adult website Adult FriendFinder had been created by someone with access to Moreno's email, soliciting "men for 1-on-1 sex". Beyond the work email, the profile listed Moreno's correct date of birth, while geolocation data indicated that the account was set up for use in a part of Fort Lauderdale where property records show Moreno’s parents owned a home at the time.[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".[28]
Moreno with fellow incoming Republican senators meeting Sen. Mitch McConnell, November 2024
Moreno opposes abortion, describing himself in a 2022 interview as "Absolute pro-life. No exceptions."[29] In 2023, Moreno's campaign revealed that he had personally donated $100,000 to Protect Women Ohio Fund, the campaign against Ohio's 2023 abortion-rights referendum.[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.[31] At that debate, he also expressed support for access to contraception.[32][33] He later expressed opposition to the Right to Contraception Act and said that he would have voted with U.S. Senate Republicans to block the bill. A spokesman said Moreno "supports comprehensive access to birth control for women but not the far-left gimmicks in this bill."[34] He supports a federal 15-week ban on abortions.[35]
LGBT rights
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.
During his 2024 Senate run, he accused supporters of LGBT rights of "advancing a radical agenda of indoctrination".[36]
Energy
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.[37]
Moreno in 2016 described Trump as a "lunatic invading [the Republican Party]" and said he could not support a Republican Party led by "that maniac".[43] He wrote in a tweet that he had written in a vote for Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential election.[44] During a 2019 radio interview, Moreno said, "there's no scenario in which I would support Trump."
By 2024, Moreno was a supporter of Trump, receiving his endorsement for Senate that year and saying, "I wear with honor my endorsement from President Trump."[45]
Moreno previously expressed support for background checks for gun owners and in a 2019 interview said "What gun do you need with 100 bullets in it?" When asked about these remarks, a spokesperson for his campaign said in 2024 it was "unequivocally" not his position today.[41]
Moreno and his wife, Bridget, live in Westlake, Ohio, and have four adult children.[47] His daughter Emily is married to congressman Max Miller.[48] In August 2024, Miller filed for divorce.[49]
