Freshman Sen. Bernie Moreno has emerged as a prolific fundraiser for the Senate Republican Conference, becoming one of the top donors to the GOP’s Senate campaign arm in his first year in office.
Moreno, a staunchly conservative senator who’s closely aligned with President Donald Trump, has raised nearly $4.5 million this year. He’s also raised $2.6 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the most of any freshman and the second most for a member not in leadership. He’s also participated in the most NRSC events outside of the committee’s chair, Sen. Tim Scott. Moreno has donated the maximum allowed amount to each Republican senator running for reelection and several Republicans running in open and competitive seats.
His fundraising capabilities and willingness to stick his neck out for vulnerable members have led to speculation that Moreno could be well-positioned to be a future chair of the NRSC.
“Bernie Moreno would make a strong NRSC chairman if he decides to run next cycle. He knows how to raise money and win,” Sen. Jim Banks told NOTUS. “In just his first year in the Senate, he’s doing more than almost any other senator in helping Chairman Scott and the NRSC this cycle to keep and grow our majority.”
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While some lawmakers choose to donate only to candidates who are politically aligned with them, Moreno has spread the wealth across the Republican political spectrum.
Last week, Moreno, along with Banks, hosted a fundraiser for Nate Morris, a Republican firebrand and businessman running for Senate in Kentucky.
“The reason I’m here is because I want to change the complexion of Washington, D.C., and have it be much more business people that get here,” Moreno told NOTUS in an interview. “And I want to get business people engaged in politics.”
But then earlier this year, Moreno hosted an event for Sen. Susan Collins, the moderate Maine senator whose beliefs differ significantly from his.
Morris and Collins could not be more different. Morris is running for Senate as a hard-right and Trump-aligned candidate. On the trail he routinely criticizes one of the state’s current senators, the revered former Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, for being too liberal and “selling the country out.”
Collins is a self-described moderate Republican who supports abortion rights and has been a stalwart supporter of McConnell. She voted to impeach Trump back in 2021 and has repeatedly bucked the president’s agenda, having voted against the reconciliation bill earlier this year.
However, Moreno told NOTUS that he recognizes that when it comes to Republicans keeping the Senate, it starts with defending people like Collins.
“Would Susan be aligned with me 100% of the time? No,” Moreno said. “Would I win the Senate race in Maine? No. Would Susan win the Senate race in Ohio? No. But she’s the most conservative candidate that we have, and by the way, happens to be extremely smart and extremely thoughtful. By the way, Maine without Susan Collins is in much worse, dramatically worse shape.”
Moreno added that he just “likes her personally” and he is “going to support people who I like and who can win.” He plans to host another event for Collins ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“You need a blend,” Moreno added of the types of candidates he wants to see in the Senate. “I think what happens is people go one way or another. ‘No more politicians.’ OK, well, I’m sure there are a lot of good guys; let’s help them. And then some mean ‘no outsiders,’ too. There’s a lot of people who think, ‘No, you’ve got to run for mayor, county executive, state rep., state senator, then House and then Senate.’ You need a nice blend, a nice mix of people, so you have different perspectives.”
Moreno is adamant he’s not focused on his future and instead is committed to helping the NRSC in any way he can. And when it comes to growing the Republican Senate majority, Moreno said Scott is “poised to do it” and that he “works his tail off.”
“In terms of what happens the next cycle, look, if I could play a constructive role, that’s something I would consider. Is that, like, an ambition of mine? No,” Moreno said. “This will sound political, but we have to make certain we maintain or grow the majority in ’26. I’m a big believer that you should focus on right now. ’27 is 100 years away. ’28, 10,000 years away.”
All this doesn’t go unnoticed, as members of leadership and the Trump administration have taken notice.
“I’m a huge fan,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said in a statement to NOTUS. “Bernie is a key member of our great Whip team. He’s all-in, non-stop, and always charging ahead. He’s the kind of person you really value around here. Bernie is also lots of fun to be around.”
One source close to Trump told NOTUS that Moreno’s relationship with both Trump and Vice President JD Vance will be “very, very important in the future.”
“With Republicans expecting Vance to be the front-runner in 2028, someone like Bernie who has a close relationship with him in the Senate becomes particularly important,” the source said.
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This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS and Signal Ohio.
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