Exclusive / Moreno moves to lock down the Senate GOP campaign chief race for 2028

Bernie Moreno is making a play to chair the Senate GOP’s campaign arm for the 2028 cycle and beginning to lock down early support among his colleagues, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The freshman senator has already won over some fellow members of the 2024 class of Republicans who flipped the chamber that fall. Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., told Semafor that Moreno will do a “great job;” Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., said Moreno would be “superb” and that he has “a good sense of the politics and the president’s coalition.”

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., another member of the class of 2024, said that when he heard Moreno was thinking about it, he encouraged him to get in the race, adding that the Ohioan “never stops.” Moreno also has some support from more senior senators.

“I think he’d be terrific. He’s extremely energetic. He’s been helpful to me in my race and he seems to have good contacts everywhere,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “We get along extremely well … any philosophical differences that we might have don’t enter into the relationship.”

Moreno is clearly a man in a hurry, jumping into tough negotiations with Democrats on expired health care subsidies and helping raise money for this year’s fight to keep the majority. A car dealership owner before he became senator, Moreno has unique relationships with the crypto and auto industries.

He’s in active talks to assess how much support he has within the conference, according to GOP insiders. Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump-aligned Republican strategist, called Moreno “one of the president’s best defenders in the Senate — he has tremendous political instincts … If he runs, I think he would have tremendous support.”

In a brief interview, Moreno said he’s currently focused on his job as NRSC vice chair and working with current NRSC Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C. But he also said that “if I can be helpful to help elect more Republicans, then that’s something that I would definitely consider doing.”

It’s not clear if Moreno will have a challenger for the position. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., has been discussed as a potential candidate, according to two people familiar with internal discussions, but it is not clear if he will make a play.

Mullin told Semafor that he’s “not even focused at all on that. I haven’t given it any consideration.”

Contested NRSC races are rare but not unprecedented. Both Mullin and Moreno have close relationships with President Donald Trump, though their power bases are somewhat different.

Mullin is a go-between with House Republican leaders and a close ally of Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Moreno is aligned closely with the ascendant Trump wing of Republicans and some top White House officials, like chief of staff Susie Wiles, Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr.

Other would-be candidates are signaling they aren’t interested, according to Republican sources. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., thought about it but has her own campaign to run in 2028, as well as young kids at home. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., is not currently vying for the position after being discussed internally.