Ohio Republican candidates who are vying to take on Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown clashed over border security and drone strikes in Mexico during Monday’s first statewide debate.
Facing off at WJW Fox 8 Studios in Cleveland, businessman Bernie Moreno, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan generally agreed on a few issues, including calling for fully securing the U.S.-Mexico border, but then quickly clashed upon delving into the immigration crisis further.
Dolan accused Moreno, who was endorsed by former President Trump, of wanting “to militarize the federal government and deport children” for his stance calling for deporting anybody in the country illegally. LaRose called earlier Monday for President Biden to deploy three military divisions to the border, which Dolan said was irresponsible.
“We need to work with the Mexican government, we need to be tough with the Mexican government,” Dolan said.
Dolan accused Moreno of previously working with former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s organization to ask for a path to citizenship and residency for illegal immigration. “He won awards in Cleveland for these positions. Now that he wants your vote in a Republican primary, he wants to militarize the federal government and deport children,” Dolan said.
“What’s remarkable is that the position that Matt holds today is that we should give amnesty to illegal immigrants. That’s what’s remarkable. Somebody who’s been in politics virtually his entire life still believes that amnesty is the right answer,” Moreno countered before the moderators turned…
