All three of the realistic candidates – including Trump-endorsed frontrunner Bernie Moreno – to take on incumbent Dem Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown have said publicly they favor some sort of national abortion ban, a potential vulnerability given that last year voters approved a measure amending the Buckeye state’s constitution to permanently enshrine the right to it, NBC News reports.
“I think abortion is going to be a pivotal issue that Sherrod Brown runs on,” said Republican strategist Mehek Cooke, who worked on the failed campaign to defeat the abortion measure. “For any candidate that emerges as a front-runner for the GOP, it’s really important for him to understand that this has to be more of a national discussion. A majority of Ohioans voted against a ban, and we need to figure out moving forward where that middle ground is so that as Republicans we can still protect life.” Already Moreno’s campaign is trying to spin away from his call for a 15 week ban, with his spokesworm Reagan McCarthy saying “Bernie is proudly pro-life and believes we can unify this country around ending late term abortion once and for all. He doesn’t believe in letting the perfect be the enemy of the good and his goal is to protect as many babies as possible.”