Ohio Republican Senate hopeful J.D. Vance, author of the best-selling book Hillbilly Elegy, won his primary Tuesday night, after getting endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
The Associated Press called Vance’s race at 9:35 p.m., after he comfortably pulled away from rivals including former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and state Sen. Matt Dolan.
With more than 95 per cent of the vote reporing, Vance was winning 32.2 per cent to Mandel’s 23.9 per cent and Dolan’s 23.3 per cent.
Vance did particularly well in rural Ohio.
The Ohio Republican Senate primary is the first to offer a glance at the former president’s hold over the Republican Party going into the 2022 midterms.
Trump endorsed Vance last month – despite Vance making anti-Trump comments in the past – arguing he was in the best position to keep the retiring Sen. Rob Portman’s seat in Republican hands.
‘I have absolutely gotta thank the 45th, the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, ladies and gentleman,’ Vance said onstage at his Cincinnati, Ohio headquarters Tuesday night.
‘Thanks to the president for everything, for endorsing me,’ he continued. ‘I’ve gotta say, a lot of the fake news media out there, and there’s some good ones in the back there, there’s some bad ones too, let’s be honest – but they wanted to write a story that this campaign would be the death of Donald Trump’s America First agenda.’
‘Ladies and gentleman, it’s not the death of the America First agenda,’ Vance added to cheers and applause.
CNN reported that Trump called Vance to congratulate him shortly after the race was called Tuesday night.
‘The GOP is now the MAGA party! America First!’ tweeted the former first son, Donald Trump Jr.
The former President Trump had vowed to never support Dolan citing the Guardians’ name change.
‘Anybody that changes the name of the once storied Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians should not be running for the United States Senate representing the Great People of Ohio,’ Trump said back in September, when Dolan entered the race.
Other prominent Republicans had endorsed Mandel’s campaign including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, but Trump opted to choose the best-selling author whose book inspired the 2020 Glenn Close film.
Both Dolan and Mandel announced they planned to support Vance late Tuesday night.
‘JD Vance and I have debated our differences, and in this hard fought campaign he was successful. Just as I will never quit fighting for Ohio, I now pledge to unite our party and endorse JD Vance to be our next U.S. Senator,’ Dolan tweeted.
Mandel said he had called Vance to concede and congratulate him.
‘I look forward to voting for him in November,’ Mandel said.
Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan easily won his Ohio Senate Democratic primary, earning nearly 70 per cent of the vote just minutes after polls closed at 7:30 p.m.
The race was called for Ryan by 8 p.m.
Ryan was running against Democrats Morgan Harper and Traci Johnson.
He’s hoping to flip a seat occupied by Portman, a moderate Republican.
While a Democrat, Sen. Sherrod Brown, holds Ohio’s other Senate seat, the state went for Trump in the past two elections.
During his Tuesday night victory speech, Ryan said he planned to legislate for all Ohioans.
‘I’m not here to get in a fight. I’m not gonna win on election day and try to punish 50 per cent of the people that are living in this state or in this country,’ the Ohio Democrat said to supporters in Columbus.
‘I want you to bring Republicans to our events. I want you to bring independents to our events,’ he also told the crowd.
Around 8:15 p.m., the Republican gubernatorial primary was called for the state’s incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine, who was facing opposition from his political right.
With 15 per cent reported, the race was called, with DeWine capturing 56.9 per cent of the vote, followed by Jim Renacci with 25.6 per cent and Joe Blystone with 15.4.
Two well-known Democratic mayors – Nan Whaley, the former mayor of Dayton, and John Cranley, the former mayor of Cincinnati – are vying for the opportunity to go up against DeWine on the fall ballot.
The race was called for Whaley at 8:49 p.m., as she was besting Cranley two-to-one.
In primaries for the House of Representatives, the Trump-backed Max Miller won his primary over several GOP hopefuls. The race was called by 9:18 p.m.
Trump endorsed Miller last summer when it looked like he would be challenging Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who voted in favor of the ex-president’s second impeachment.
Since that time, Gonzalez has announced his retirement and Miller switched to a different Congressional district, due to the redistricting process.
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown had an early and large lead over Nina Turner, a prominent figure on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
Brown is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, however that didn’t mean she got all the so-called ‘squad’ members’ support, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsing Turner Monday night.
The AP called the race for Brown at 10:22 p.m.
Voters in Indiana also went to the polls Tuesday, but the major races were uncontested.