In a statement shared first with POLITICO, the Club touted Moreno’s business experience and his support for Blockchain technology. It also noted he had been endorsed by Trump.

“His perspective will be a welcome addition to the United States Senate, and we look forward to doing whatever it takes to ensure he wins the race.” Club President David McIntosh said in a statement shared first with POLITICO.

The move is another blow for LaRose, who tried to persuade Trump to back him. LaRose, a former state senator and Army veteran, who
entered the race in July, has been desperately trying to keep pace with his two wealthy opponents. Both Dolan, a scion of the family who owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, and Moreno have been able to self-fund.

Moreno has already spent roughly $4 million on TV ads, according to AdImpact, a media tracking service. Dolan has spent $1.7 million. LaRose has not yet gone on air.

The Club’s decision to weigh into the race is somewhat surprising. Last year, the group tried to recruit Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) to run but he declined.

McIntosh had previously told reporters in a July 2023 briefing that none of the three major candidates in the race struck him as “a champion for pro-growth policies” and he sounded particularly sour on Dolan who he said was “pretty leftist on a lot of his positions.”

“I don’t think we make an endorsement there,” he said at the time, though he promised the group would continue to look at the race.