What to know about Ohio's U.S. Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio's race for U.S. Senate is among the biggest races in the country on Nov. 5, with the winner potentially determining which party controls the chamber for the next two years.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, will face off against Bernie Moreno, a Republican businessman from Cleveland, in a matchup under intense scrutiny across the country. The sides represent a stark contrast: a decades-long politician vs. an outsider.

The stakes

Control of the Senate likely hangs in the balance as Ohio voters head to the polls. Democrats hold a 51-49 majority, but 34 of those seats are up for grabs on Election Day. Of the 11 Republican-held seats headed to a vote, all are projected to stay with the party, but of the 23 Democrat-held seats, two are leaning toward Republican candidates and another four are considered tossups, according to The Cook Political Report.

Depending on how some races turn out -- including in Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, or barring a surprise in another state -- the decision of which party controls the chamber could fall to Ohio. That's why so much money is being poured into the race.

According to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit government transparency group tracking money in politics, the Brown-Moreno race has seen the most outside spending of any Senate race, at $258.9 million; the most total spending, at $370 million; and the second most money raised, at $117.6 million. An example of outside money impacting the race is a pro-cryptocurrency super PAC contributing millions toward ads in support of Moreno.

Sen. Sherrod Brown

Brown is serving his third term. He is the chair of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and a member of the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Select Committee on Ethics. Before taking over his Senate seat in 2007, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ohio House of Representatives, and as Ohio secretary of state.

Despite being a Democrat in an increasingly Republican state, Brown has proved himself as a powerhouse in Ohio's political landscape. He's done that with a pro-worker message, an emphasis on fair trade, support of abortion rights and running to the right of his party on issues such as immigration and border security. Former Ohio governor Bob Taft, a Republican, recently endorsed Brown over Moreno. In most polling, he's had a slight edge over Moreno.

Critics of the 71-year-old have targeted his record voting with President Joe Biden and his stance on transgender issues, also accusing him of being soft on the border. Brown has attempted to distance himself from his party in the months leading up to the election, going so far as to not attend the Democratic National Convention. He was also one of the first senators to call on Biden to step aside from the presidential race.

Bernie Moreno

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Moreno immigrated to the U.S. with his family before becoming an American citizen at age 18. The multimillionaire made his fortune with a line of car dealerships in the Cleveland area and later became a tech executive. He emerged to win the Republican primary with help from President Donald Trump.

The 57-year-old has firmly aligned himself with the "MAGA" wing of the party. He has campaigned on securing the border, saying in a primary debate that what is happening there is “treasonous” and “an invasion of our country" and calling for no forms of amnesty and for anyone illegally in the country to be deported. Moreno has also emphasized getting rid of "career politicians," creating a distinction between himself and Brown.

Moreno has received criticism for a string of lawsuits from his past as a businessman, including claims of wage theft, discrimination and failing to honor an agreement with a longtime friend and business associate. During the primary, he was accused of flipflopping on issues, with separate super PACs launching whichbernie.com and berniesrecord.org to highlight his alleged inconsistencies. A pro-lifer, Moreno drew fire in September for calling women who are single-issue voters on abortion "crazy," joking that it isn't an issue for those older than 50.