Donald Trump’s endorsement of Bernie Moreno for US Senate drove the candidate ahead of Frank LaRose (but well behind Senator Sherrod Brown) in terms of online mentions during the latter half of December. Here is our report on how the Senate race played out on social media from December 15-31, 2023.

Mentions by Platform

Candidate Share of Mentions

Top Keywords

Trending Topics

The major story driving online conversation around Ohio’s Senate race was Donald Trump’s endorsement of Bernie Moreno. Nearly 26% of all mentions in the two week period came on that one day. Bernie Moreno surpassed LaRose in mentions for the period, the first time since we began tracking.

The other spike in conversation arrived on December 29, when news of Governor DeWine veto of anti-trans legislation arrived and was met by statements from each of the GOP Senate candidates.

Most Shared Links

• Sherrod Brown 12/15 tweet: “I officially filed to be on the ballot and I’m ready to win in 2024.” – 1300 shares
• Sherrod Brown’s Act Blue Page – Sherrod Brown – Donate via ActBlue – 1150 shares
• Sahil Kapur 12/19 tweet: “Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno gets the “Complete and Total Endorsement” from Trump in the race against Sherrod Brown. Former president’s full statement:” – 1080 shares
• Bernie Moreno 12/19 tweet – I am honored and thankful to have the endorsement of @realDonaldTrump for United States Senate from the Great State of Ohio. With President Trump back in the White House, we will Make America Great Again! – 699 shares

• JD Vance 12/19 tweet – “Donald Trump endorses Bernie Moreno in the Ohio Senate race! @berniemoreno Big news. Congrats to Bernie on earning the endorsement. Now time to win the trust of the people of Ohio, and I’m sure Bernie is up to the task!” – 447 shares

TWITTER

Top Tweet (most comments, likes and retweets)

#1 Sherrod Brown – 13.2K engagements

NEWS

2,440 stories (down 24%)

Most Viral News Stories

• Politico – The latest front in the Gaetz vs. McCarthy fight: House primaries  1150 social shares
• Associated Press – Ohio’s GOP governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care and transgender athletes in girls’ sports – 962 social shares
• Fox Business – Democrats haunted by past support for signature Biden law as seniors face ‘dramatic rise’ in Medicare costs – 514 social shares
• The Federalist – Media Lie About This Leftist-Linked Voter Roll ‘Maintenance’ Group To Protect Democrats’ Election Machine – 501 social shares

• Politico – Senate GOP enters critical stretch for fending off bad candidates – 498 social shares

REDDIT

232 mentions (down 11%)

Top Posts (most engagement)

• r/inthenews – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown says he’d vote to legalize recreational marijuana at the federal level – 1090 engagements
• r/Ohio – Frank LaRose needs money for his Senate race. An Illinois GOP megadonor just gave him a financial lifeline – 609 engagements
• r/VoteDEM – Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown says he’d vote to legalize recreational marijuana at the federal level – 469 engagements
• r/Ohio – Donald Trump endorses Bernie Moreno in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race – 391 engagements

• r/Ohio – Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose files petitions for official U.S. Senate candidacy – 330 engagements

Frank LaRose’s unexpected purge of nearly 27,000 voters a month before the election and after the deadline to register to vote generated more shares and mentions than he’s seen in months.

Mentions by Platform

Candidate Share of Mentions

Top Keywords

Trending Topics

• Frank LaRose’s unexpected purge of nearly 27,000 voters a month before the election

Most Shared Links

• 10,800 shares –  Ohio Secretary of State LaRose Quietly Removes More Than 26,000 Ohioans From Voter Rolls – Democracy Docket
• 2810 shares – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose quietly ordered purge of thousands of inactive voters last month
• 1170 shares – LaRose uses state newsletter to promote Senate campaign
• 622 shares – Ohio Quietly Purges 27,000 Voters From Rolls Ahead of Abortion Vote
• 322 shares – Frank LaRose’s stealth purge of voters right before the Nov. 7 election: editorial

TWITTER

Most Engaging Tweets

• Marc Elias (10/27) – Shameful. “Just six days after Ohio voters began receiving ballots for the upcoming November election, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) canceled 26,666 voter registrations in the state.” – 21600 engagements
• Democracy Docket (10/26) – NEW: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) canceled over 26,000 voter registrations in the state six days after voters began receiving ballots for the upcoming November elections. – 5710 engagements
• David Pepper (10/27) – 🧵   Ohio voter 🚨   You may have heard that Frank LaRose recently purged 1000s of voters from the rolls. We are still looking into the list.   But we know his office has made numerous errors in the past amid such purges.   Here’s how you can check on your voting status:  1/ – 3190 shares
• Susan Rinkunas (10/30) – Anti-abortion Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered the purge of voter registrations before voters decide on Issue 1, which would codify abortion in the state. People can re-register—but not in time to vote on the ballot measure. The deadline for this election was Oct. 10. – 2690 engagements
• Ron Filipowski (10/30) – Yet another Republican, this time OH Secretary of State Frank LaRose who is running against Sherrod Brown for Senate, continues to use his taxpayer funded office for his campaign – 2540 engagements

BROADCAST (TV & RADIO)

283 mentions (up 11%)

Top Stories by Reach

• 13 Action News (10/30) multiple airings – update on Ohio Senate race – 6.3 million reach
• WLWT Cincinnati (10/30) 5pm – Frank LaRose Voter Purge during early voting – 1.7 million reach
• WKEF ABC Dayton (10/30) 11pm – Sherrod Brown on end of UAW strike – 1.6 million reach

NEWS

1050 stories (down 17%)

Most Viral News Stories

• Raw Story (10/25) – GOP official quietly purged thousands of Ohio voters after ballots had been cast: Report – 5680 social shares
• Roll Call (10/25) – Senate adopts gun provision among amendments to spending bill – 2890 social shares
• Ohio Capital Journal (10/24) – The DeWines are gaslighting Ohioans in their dishonest anti-Issue 1 ad – 2780 shares
• Cleveland.com (10/24) – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose quietly ordered purge of thousands of inactive voters last month – 1530 social shares
• Ohio Capital Journal (10/30) – LaRose uses state newsletter to promote Senate campaign – 1350 shares

REDDIT

112 mentions (down 7%)

Top Posts (most engagement)

• r/moderatepolitics – GOP official quietly purged thousands of Ohio voters after ballots had been cast: Report – 304 reddit score
• r/zezrocovidcommunity – The U.S. Senate just voted to prohibit mask mandates on public transportation in 2024. Ten democrats voted yes. Please contact your rep if they were one of these idiots. – 120 reddit score
• r/askConservatives – Republican officials removed nearly 27,000 voters right ahead of the November election. Is their reasoning sound or is it clear this was done to suppress the turnout? – 125 engagements

Matt Dolan is airing a new 60-second radio ad attacking Senator Brown on inflation, while Jim Jordan’s run for Speaker and the new Emerson poll drove most of the conversation online.

Mentions by Platform

Candidate Share of Mentions

Top Keywords

Trending Topics

• New Senate poll 
• Jim Jordan speakership becomes a point of difference between candidates LaRose and Brown
• LaRose continues to take heat for his office move and ERIC departure

Most Shared Links

• 492 shares – Act Blue: Save The Senate
• 332 shares – Sen. Warnock tweet about Brown’s work on CFPB
• 251 shares – Frank LaRose tweet endorsing Jim Jordan as Speaker
• 220 shares – ODP Yes on 1 Info Page
• 188 shares – VoteOhio.gov

TWITTER

Most Engaging Tweets

• Jack Posobiec (10/17): “WATCH: Bannon and JD Vance rip Frank LaRose for saying we can’t deport illegals because we can’t lose ‘20m consumers’ “Viewing 20m illegal aliens as consumers is fundamentally an affront to the entire idea of the American nation” – JD Vance “Donor mindset” – Steve Bannon” – 3490 engagement
• Briditte Gabriel (10/23): “Rep. Jim Jordan would be the perfect man to run for Senate in Ohio against Sherrod Brown. We can’t take any risks with the US Senate and Jim Jordan is a sure thing with Ohio voters. Would you support a Senator Jim Jordan?” – 2690 engagement
• Sherrod Brown (10/18): “Let’s be clear: Jim Jordan is a far-right extremist & close ally of Donald Trump who pushed bogus election fraud claims that led to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Will you respond to our live poll now to show how disastrous a choice Jordan would be for Speaker of the House?” – 2610 engagement
• Sherrod Brown (10/18): “BREAKING: Ohio Republican Jim Jordan endorsed by Donald Trump for Speaker of the House. We need 10,000 folks to speak out and make it abundantly clear how disastrous and unpopular this choice would be. So please, answer our rapid-response poll before it closes.” – 2100 engagements
• Bernie Moreno (10/18): “Not only do we need to end birthright citizenship, but we need to go much further than that if we want to finally stop the invasion and secure our border.” – 1150 engagements

BROADCAST (TV & RADIO)
Top Stories by Reach

• WOUC PBS Athens (10/20) – Liz Walters on the US Senate race  – 426K reach
• WTAM AM Cleveland (10/23) – Sherrod Brown on Akron’s new regional technology hubs – 192k reach
• Newsmax TV (10/20) – New Poll Has Matt Dolan Leading Sherrod Brown–  204k reach
• Multiple stations/airings – New Matt Dolan 60-second radio Ad Attacking Sherrod Brown

NEWS

Most Viral News Stories

• NPR (10/20): “Republican states swore off a voting tool. Now they’re scrambling to recreate it” (LaRose) – 645 social shares
• NPR (10/17): “Medicare Advantage keeps growing. Tiny, rural hospitals say that’s a huge problem” (Brown) – 395 social shares
• Ohio Capital Journal (10/17): “Does Sec. of State LaRose have no Senate campaign HQ, or is it where he’s moving his state office? (LaRose)” – 209 social shares
• Tbe Hill (10/18): “Bipartisan lawmakers demand answers on crypto’s role in financing Hamas attacks on Israel” (Brown) – 201 social shares

REDDIT

Top Posts (most engagement)

• r/presidents: “Out of all the current 100 senators, who is the most qualified to be President?”  – 157 reddit score
• r/politics: Sherrod Brown maintains fundraising lead in Ohio Senate race with help of grassroots donors and unions – 130 reddit score
• r/neoliberal: Opinions on best and worst run Democratic state parties? – 127 reddit score

Matt Dolan had a relatively good week thanks to a solid fundraising report, while Trump-aligned Bernie Moreno supporters help the candidate drive a negative narrative around his rival Frank LaRose. 

Mentions by Platform

Candidate Share of Mentions

Top Keywords

Candidate Share of Mentions

• Quarterly fundraising gives Brown a comfortable lead, with LaRose underperforming Dolan & Moreno
• Hamas terror attacks result in calls by Brown & others to cancel Iran funding
• GOP candidates hold a candidate forum

Most Shared Links

• 382 shares – Brown faces tough reelection in Ohio Senate race: poll | The Hill
• 152 shares – Ohio 2024 Poll: Brown Faces Competitive General Election; Trump Leads Biden in 2024 Matchup – Emerson Polling
• 142 shares – Bipartisan momentum grows for re-freezing $6 billion in Iranian funds
• 141 shares – VoteOhio.gov – Ohio Secretary of State
• 130 shares – Act Blue: Sherrod Brown fundraising page

X (Twitter)

Most Engaging Tweets

• Sherrod Brown (Oct. 11) – BREAKING: Ohio Republican Jim Jordan endorsed by Donald Trump for Speaker of the House. We need 10,000 folks to speak out and make it abundantly clear how disastrous and unpopular this choice would be. So please, answer our rapid-response poll before it closes – 5610 engagements
• Sherrod Brown (Oct. 11) – Let’s be clear: Jim Jordan is a far-right extremist & close ally of Donald Trump who pushed bogus election fraud claims that led to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Will you respond to our live poll now to show how disastrous a choice Jordan would be for Speaker of the House? – 3680 engagements
• Charlie Kirk (Oct. 15) – OH Senate Candidate Frank LaRose endorsed mass amnesty and uses the age old Big Immigration line: “We need 20 million consumers.” What a joke. The only real conservative in the race, Bernie Moreno, promptly put him in his place. Watch: – 1920 engagements
• Sherrod Brown (Oct. 13) – I trust Ohioans, not politicians, to make their own personal health care decisions. That’s why I will be voting YES on Issue One. – 1610 engagements
• HawaiiDelilah #MauiStrong (Oct. 11) – Whether you’re in Ohio or not, make it your mission to help re-elect this good man. – 1380 engagements

BROADCAST (TV & RADIO)

256 mentions (down 10%)

Top Stories by Reach

• WTAM AM Cleveland (Oct 16) – WTAM host discusses Medina GOP candidate Forum- 192K reach
• WVXU FM Cincinnati (Oct 16) – News update on campaign finance filings– 99.7k reach
• WCPN FM Cleveland (Oct 16) – GOP candidates spar at candidate forum – 98.3k reach
• WLIO FM Lima (Oct 16) – GOP candidates to headline Allen County BBQ Rally next week – 24k reach

NEWS

1410 stories (down 9%)

Most Viral News Stories

• Washington Post (10/12) – U.S., Qatar agree to stop Iran from tapping $6 billion fund after Hamas attack (Brown) – 10400 social shares
• Daily Mail (10/13) – Bank of America closes 21 branches in ONE WEEK while Wells Fargo shutters 15 – is your local on the list? (Brown) – 2250 social shares
• Breitbart (10/10) – After Israel Attack, GOP Warns of Terror in U.S. Due to Biden’s Open Border (Moreno) – 919 social shares
• Fox Business (10/10) – Tim Scott calls on Yellen to testify on $6B in funds released to Iran after Hamas attacks Israel (Brown) – 880 social shares
• Newsmax (10/10) – Sen. Tim Scott Calls for Probe Into Iran Funds Release (Brown) – 982 social shares

REDDIT

46 mentions (down 73%)

Top Subreddits 

r/Ohio, r/Presidents, r/politics, r/AngryObservation, r/VoteDEM

Top Keywords/Phrases:
Sherrod Brown trails, senate election, early poll, reproductive right, show, poll, tough reelection

Top Posts (most engagement)

• r/Ohio (10/15) – Frank LaRose should never hold another public office in Ohio – 588 reddit score
• r/Ohio (10/11) – Sherrod Brown trails even Frank LaRose in early poll for 2024 Senate election; why a no-show on reproductive rights? – 174 reddit score