On Thursday, Republican and Independent Ohioans slammed Bernie Moreno outside a closed-door event, denouncing him for insulting women by calling them “a little crazy” for wanting to make their own health care decisions. The comments, caught on video and first reported by WCMH earlier this week, have sparked outrage across the political spectrum.
While Sen. Sherrod Brown stands with the majority of Ohioans who believe a woman’s health care decisions should be between her and her doctor, Moreno has made it clear he is “100% pro-life with no exceptions.” He has pledged to support a national abortion ban, which would override the will of Ohioans who overwhelmingly voted last year to protect abortion rights in the state constitution.
“Call me crazy, but I believe that Bernie Moreno has no business involving himself in a woman’s health care decisions,” said Independent voter Tammy Krings. “Moreno thinks he knows better than the 57% of Ohioans – Republicans, Independents, Democrats, women, men, suburban, urban, and rural – who voted to pass Issue 1 to safeguard our reproductive rights, along with the rights of our daughters, granddaughters, sisters, and friends.”
Ed Dunn, a lifelong Republican, was equally incensed. “When I heard Moreno’s comments, I heard a politician insulting me for caring about an issue that impacts every woman in my life,” Dunn said. “Moreno has made it clear he would overturn the will of voters like me by supporting a national abortion ban. Let’s be clear: he’s mocking Ohioans because he thinks he knows better than us.”
Lea Macekyo, a Republican voter, also condemned Moreno’s remarks. “Bernie Moreno believes he should make a woman’s health care decisions and said he would vote for federal legislation to ban abortion, which would silence our voices,” Macekyo said. “But more than that, he insulted and mocked all Ohioans who believe a woman’s health care decisions should be between her and her doctor. The fact that he can’t understand why women care about this issue speaks volumes about who he is.”
Moreno has been a vocal advocate of Ohio’s controversial “heartbeat bill,” which bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. This legislation was a significant point of contention until it was overturned by a constitutional amendment approved by Ohio voters last year.
Despite this clear voter mandate, Moreno has continued to champion restrictive abortion laws. On January 13, 2022, during an interview on Cincinnati’s 55WKRC radio, Moreno declared, “Absolute pro-life, no exceptions,” positioning himself as a firm proponent of restrictive abortion policies.
In recent campaign appearances, Moreno has further emphasized his anti-abortion stance. Speaking to Dayton Republicans on March 10, 2024, Moreno criticized fellow GOP candidate Ohio Sen. Matt Dolan for his 2019 vote against the heartbeat bill. Moreno’s remarks highlighted his commitment to a strict anti-abortion agenda, distinguishing himself from other candidates.
