Ohio GOP candidates for Senate to participate in forum with Hugh Hewitt

The six leading Republican candidates for Ohio Senate will meet on stage for the first time Sunday as they fight to appeal to conservative voters.

The Center for Christian Virtue is holding the event at 7 p.m. at Genoa Church in Westerville. Participating in the forum are former state treasurer Josh Mandel, author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, former Ohio GOP chair Jane Timken, state Sen. Matt Dolan, investment banker Mike Gibbons and car dealer Bernie Moreno. 

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The event will be moderated by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Hewitt will talk one-on-one with each of the candidates before they take the stage together "to discuss the key issues that matter to Christian voters," according to a news release.

Democratic candidates Tim Ryan and Morgan Harper are not slated to join. 

Mandel, Vance, Timken, Gibbons and Moreno fielded questions during a forum last week hosted by the right-leaning Ohio Press Network. Long-shot GOP candidate Mark Pukita also participated, while Dolan reportedly had a scheduling conflict that barred him from attending.

Most Republicans in the race have sought to align themselves with former President Donald Trump and hope to eventually secure his endorsement. Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, has opted not to run a Trump-centric campaign and drew rebuke from him over the team's name change.

Dolan is also the only candidate who supports the bipartisan infrastructure deal negotiated by retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman. 

Sunday's forum will be streamed on Facebook and 98.9 The Answer.

This story will be updated. 

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.