100 Days From Election Day, 101 Problems Senate Republicans Have with Their Candidates

Nearly 100 days out from Election Day, Senate Republicans again have a “candidate quality” problem. Their roster of recruits has told lies about their biographies, face scandals stemming from their wealth, and have disqualifying policy positions on issues like reproductive freedom and Social Security and Medicare — along with a lifetime of unvetted statements and policy positions that are coming to light. 

Ahead of 100 days from Election Day, below are 101 examples of Senate Republicans’ candidate quality problems:

Senate Republican candidates lied about their biographies.

1. The New York Times reported that Bernie Moreno engaged in a “calculated process of self-creation,” lying about his upbringing, his immigration story, and even his housing.

2. Bernie Moreno lied about selling Chinese-made cars.

3. Bernie Moreno lied about fleeing socialism.

4. Bernie Moreno lied about how he learned English. 

5. Bernie Moreno falsely took credit for bringing 5G to Cleveland.

6. Bernie Moreno lied about closing the Confucius Institute in Cleveland. 

7. David McCormick lied about growing up on a farm.

8. Tim Sheehy lied about growing up in rural Minnesota.

9. The Daily Beast reported that Tim Sheehy’s story of leaving the military is “contradicted by Sheehy’s own written account.” 

10. Tim Sheehy lied about how he started his business. 

11. Tim Sheehy “offered inconsistent accounts of his war wounds.” 

12. Tim Sheehy failed to disclose his role on the board of a right-wing think tank.

Senate Republican candidates face scandals stemming from their wealth and business records.

13. Rick Scott’s campaign accepted tens of thousands in donations from a businessman accused of fraud – and hasn’t returned it. 

14. Mike Rogers got rich going through “the revolving door.” 

15. Mike Rogers profited from working for companies tied to Chinese and Saudi Arabian linked companies.

16. Tim Sheehy abruptly resigned amidst reports his company is “deeply in the red.”

17. Tim Sheehy’s company is heavily dependent on government contracts creating a “genuine conflict of interest.” 

18. Tim Sheehy is being sued by former employees for “allegedly defrauding [them] of millions.”

19. Bernie Moreno shredded documents to avoid paying his employees overtime wages.

20. David McCormick has faced scrutiny for his business ties to China and Saudi Arabia. 

21. HuffPost reported that David McCormick “profited from China trade policies he helped shape.”

22. David McCormick oversaw the growth of Chinese military investments as CEO of Bridgewater. 

23. David McCormick invested in Chinese fentanyl.

24. David McCormick outsourced American jobs. 

25. David McCormick lied about creating Pennsylvania jobs. 

26. David McCormick’s firm made bets against American Steel companies while he was CEO. 

27. Ted Cruz is facing growing scrutiny over his ethically questionable podcast deal that has directed hundreds of thousands of dollars to his super PAC. 

28. Eric Hovde’s bank was named in a lawsuit accusing a facility it owned of elder abuse.

29. Eric Hovde refuses to answer if he will give up ownership of his bank if elected.

30. Eric Hovde’s family tried to do business in China.

31. Eric Hovde’s bank is holding millions in deposits from foreign governments and banks…

32. …And Hovde poured millions into overseas banks “implicated in money laundering, Ponzi schemes, and sanctions evasion.”

Senate Republican candidates are “carpetbaggers” with “suspect ties to the states they’re running in.”

33. David McCormick continues to face scrutiny over lying about living in Pennsylvania. 

34. Reports found that David McCormick failed to vote in Pennsylvania for more than 15 years.

35. Vanity Fair reported that David McCormick “lives in a Connecticut mansion” and takes “private planes” back to Pennsylvania. 

36. Reports found that David McCormick “spent over $37,000 flying around Pennsylvania on his private jets” while running for Senate. 

37. Despite running for Senate in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Eric Hovde has been “living large in Laguna Beach, California.”

38. Eric Hovde failed to vote in 17 of Wisconsin’s last 30 elections…

39. …And when Hovde did vote, he voted by mail from his mansion in Laguna Beach, California. 

40. Mike Rogers was registered to vote in Florida until recently. 

41. Mike Rogers’ residency issues prompted the Michigan Advance to ask, “Where is Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood?”

42. Montanans describe out-of-state multi-millionaire Tim Sheehy as a “wannabe cowboy.”

43. Tim Sheehy pressured the government to reduce his property taxes “while many Montanans are struggling to pay soaring property taxes.” 

Senate Republicans have disqualifying policy positions on issues like reproductive freedom. 

44. Every Republican Senate candidate is on the record opposing women’s right to make their own health care decisions. 

45. Kari Lake supported Arizona’s draconian 1864 abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and called for “sheriffs to enforce” the ban. 

46. Kari Lake called abortion “almost demonic.”

47. Kari Lake is on the record saying “that abortion pills should be illegal.”

48. Larry Hogan was recruited by Mitch McConnell — and endorsed by Donald Trump — to turn the Senate over to Republicans so they could pass their agenda, like banning abortion nationwide. 

49. Larry Hogan refused to say if he would support federal legislation codifying protections for IVF.

50. Larry Hogan called abortion an “emotional issue for women.”

51. Larry Hogan refused to say he will oppose judges who would further threaten Marylanders’ reproductive freedom.

52. Larry Hogan vetoed legislation to expand abortion access in Maryland. 

53. Mike Rogers repeatedly supported federal personhood legislation that would ban abortion nationwide without exceptions and threaten IVF and certain forms of birth control. 

54. Mike Rogers voted twice to enact federal abortion restrictions.

55. Tim Sheehy compared abortion to murder.

56. Tim Sheehy was endorsed by an anti-abortion group that supports a nationwide ban.

57. Sam Brown repeatedly supported banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.

58. Sam Brown supported a Texas law that had some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country.

59. Sam Brown declared that he “would not vote to confirm [a judge] who continues to support Roe v. Wade.”

60. Sam Brown personally recruited and managed the Texas campaign of an extreme anti-abortion candidate.

61. Sam Brown worked for a “hardline anti-abortion” group whose founder compared abortion to slavery. 

62. Bernie Moreno called himself “unapologetically pro-life” with “no exceptions.”

63. Bernie Moreno recently doubled down on his support for a national abortion ban and made the case that “women need help with strollers, not abortion.” 

64. David McCormick continues to face scrutiny for his support for banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.

65. David McCormick called overturning Roe v. Wade “a great victory.”

66. Rick Scott reiterated his support for Florida’s draconian six-week abortion ban.

67. Rick Scott promised to “sign into law any anti-abortion bill.” 

68. Rick Scott signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court supporting “restrictions on a widely used abortion pill.”

69. Rick Scott belittled abortion as “a tough issue for women.”

70. Ted Cruz supported a national abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest. 

71. Ted Cruz called the overturning of Roe v. Wade a “momentous moment” “for incredible celebration.”

72. Ted Cruz signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court supporting “restrictions on a widely used abortion pill.”

73. Eric Hovde proclaimed he is “totally opposed to abortion.”

Senate Republicans have threatened to cut Social Security and Medicare.

74. The Hill found that Senate Republicans’ legislative agenda includes “floating cuts to mandatory government spending” – which includes programs like Medicare.

75. Rick Scott wrote a plan that would put “an end to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid … and potentially more” — Scott has since “double[d] down on sunsetting even popular programs.”

76. Kari Lake said, “It’s time to fire the federal government,” a proposal that would mean no Social Security payments and Medicare for Arizonans.

77. Kari Lake proposed massive cuts to the federal budget that “would gut Medicaid, Medicare, and veteran’s benefits.”

78. Mike Rogers said the country had to rethink “what retirement looks like” and “every option’s gonna have to be on the table” when asked about his plans for Social Security.

79. Sam Brown was caught on tape saying he admired an extreme plan that would phase out Social Security and Medicare in five years – calling it a “roadmap for a better America.” 

80. David McCormick called programs like Social Security and Medicare “unsustainable.”

81. Ted Cruz called Social Security a Ponzi scheme, backed a “benefit cut” proposal, and called to “raise the [Social Security] retirement age.”

82. Eric Hovde called for raising the retirement age for Social Security recipients.

83. Eric Hovde agrees with entitlement reforms that would “[cut] Medicare, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits.”

Senate Republicans have a lifetime of unvetted statements and policy positions. 

84. Just weeks before the Arizona primary, Kari Lake asked “the Arizona Supreme Court to declare her governor and overturn the results of her 2022 failed bid to become the state’s chief executive.” 

85. Kari Lake campaigned in front of a Confederate flag. 

86. Kari Lake encouraged supporters to “strap on a Glock” ahead of the 2024 election.

87. Larry Hogan committed to caucusing with Republicans.

88. Larry Hogan has a history of “consistently oppos[ing] efforts to curb gun violence.”

89. Tim Sheehy supports ending federal protections for public lands.

90. NBC News reported that Tim Sheehy is “a threat to public land access.”

91. Sam Brown supports opening Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository, “a third rail in Nevada politics.”

92. Sam Brown proposed interest rate hikes that “could have thrown the US into a recession.”  

93. Sam Brown opposes several gun safety reforms. 

94. Sam Brown “embodies a particularly stark strain of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.”

95. Eric Hovde made comments that seniors shouldn’t vote.

96. Eric Hovde said farmers are lazy.

97. Eric Hovde attacked single mothers.

98. Eric Hovde insulted young people.

99. Eric Hovde called Americans “deplorable.” 

100. Eric Hovde opposed the sale of alcohol.

101. Eric Hovde stated that obese people should pay more for health care. 

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