Dealership owner Bernie Moreno will “likely” enter for the race for one of Ohio’s seats in the U.S. Senate, according to a report last week by The Wall Street Journal.
Moreno, 53, would be vying for the GOP nomination to succeed Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican who announced Jan. 25 that he will not seek reelection. His term expires in 2022.
“I have not made that decision yet,” Moreno told Automotive News on Monday. “Quite frankly, I wish Rob would stay. He’s a great guy. He’s a perfect senator. What we need in D.C. is people like him.”
Moreno said he will be making a decision on whether he’ll run for the Ohio Senate seat “relatively soonish.”
The balance of power in the Senate is currently split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris given the tiebreaking vote.
Moreno, who lives in the Cleveland area, owns a 50 percent interest in the Cleveland Motorsports dealership in North Olmsted, Ohio, that sells Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce vehicles.
He also owns Infiniti of Coral Gables in Florida.
Moreno’s other ventures include Ownum, an incubator for blockchain-use ideas such as CHAMPtitles — which uses blockchain to create secure, digital vehicle titles — and Drive Options, a luxury-vehicle subscription service.
