Trump-backed Republican businessman Bernie Moreno has denied Sen. , D-Ohio, a fourth term, NBC News projects. Moreno’s flipping of a U.

S. Senate seat deals a likely fatal blow to Democrats’ bid to remain in control of the chamber. Moreno is a car dealer and blockchain technology entrepreneur with no experience in elected office.

Five years ago, , Moreno bashed former President Donald Trump "as a ‘lunatic’ and a ‘maniac’ in correspondence with a national Republican fundraising consultant who was seeking donations.” His public comments also he was not a Trump fan. But he re-fashioned himself into a MAGA acolyte, and he heavily Trump’s endorsement in his Republican primary campaign.

He also whether he believes the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Moreno has defeated a Democrat once known as the quintessential Rust Belt whisperer, and his election arguably completes Ohio’s transformation from a bellwether state to a Republican stronghold. Brown has held his seat since 2006, and his incumbency was a huge deal for Democrats, since Trump ushered in a new Republican streak in the state, winning it in both and by about 8 points.

Moreno survived Brown’s attempts to take him down with ads hammering home his controversial positions on abortion. Moreno said in a town hall in September that older women who care about abortion are And he has called for Moreno is primed to be a team player in the Senate, with on everything from immigration to “w.