What Went Down During Ohio’s And Indiana’s Primary Elections

The polls will soon close in Ohio, which has several races we’re watching tonight:

• The Republican primary for U.S. Senate. In what’s probably the biggest race of the evening, Trump has endorsed “Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance, but other candidates are still in the mix too, such as former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and investment banker Mike Gibbons. Self-funding state Sen. Matt Dolan also has a shot, which would be notable since he is the only candidate who hasn’t tried to ingratiate himself with Trump. See my full preview here.
• The Republican and Democratic primaries for governor. For the GOP, Gov. Mike DeWine is favored but not certain to hold off hardline conservative challenges from former Rep. Jim Renacci and farmer Joe Blystone. The Democratic nomination, meanwhile, looks quite evenly matched between former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. Although the winner would definitely be the underdog against DeWine, they might make things interesting against Renacci or Blystone.
• The Republican primaries for the open 7th and 13th districts. The two candidates Trump has endorsed in these districts (Max Miller and Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, respectively) look like the front-runners. Gilbert’s win would be especially symbolic, as she’d replace pro-impeachment Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez in Congress because of redistricting — that is, assuming she wins in November.
• The Republican primary for the 9th District. This race could determine how easy it will be for Republicans to defeat incumbent Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in the fall. Conservative state Rep. Craig Riedel and Jan. 6 attendee J.R. Majewski could turn off independents in this swing seat, while moderate state Sen. Theresa Gavarone could be more electable.
• The Democratic primary for the 11th District. In a rematch of last year’s special election, now-incumbent Rep. Shontel Brown, a consensus-building moderate, is running against former state Sen. Nina Turner, a diehard progressive. Turner is still a fundraising machine and still has the influential backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, but Brown should benefit from her incumbency, as well as from a rare endorsement from President Biden.
• The Republican primary for secretary of state, which (barring a major upset in November) will determine who administers the 2024 presidential election in the state. Incumbent Frank LaRose believes that Biden rightfully won the presidency in 2020 but has also had to saber-rattle about the potential dangers of voter fraud as he faces a challenge on his right flank from Big Lie believer John Adams.