COLUMBUS, Ohio — The winners of special primary elections in a quest for seats in Congress representing the 11th and 15th districts were announced Tuesday evening.
In Ohio’s 15th District in central Ohio, Mike Carey, a longtime coal lobbyist who has never held elected office, but received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary, while State Rep. Allison Russo won the Democratic primary for the open U.S. House seat.
Just in:
The @AP has called the #OH15 special primary:
– @MikeCareyOH15 wins the GOP nomination
– @Russo4Ohio wins the Dem nominationHere are the latest numbers from the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, as of 9pm ET. pic.twitter.com/RhLBlVI1YY
— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) August 4, 2021
In a statement, Trump said, “Great Republican win for Mike Carey. Big numbers! Thank you to Ohio and all of our wonderful American patriots. Congratulations to Mike and his family. He will never let you down!”
Carey said the victory was a sure sign of who central Ohio Republicans view as the leader of the party.
“Tonight, Republicans across Ohio’s 15th Congressional District sent a clear message to the nation that President Donald J. Trump is, without a doubt, the leader of our party,” Carey said in a statement. “I could not be more grateful for his support, and I am proud to deliver this win to advance his America First agenda.”
Russo congratulated her opponent and said she is ready to fight to win the Republican-heavy district and represent its constituents.
“I’ve won really tough districts before because I took the time to listen to Ohioans about what’s important to them, campaigned on issues that would help working families, and advocated for good ideas no matter which party they came from,” Russo said in a statement. “I know we can do the same again here in OH-15 because other Democrats have before: both Sen. Sherrod Brown and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner carried this district.”
In Ohio’s 11th District, Laverne Gore won the GOP primary for the open U.S. House seat representing northeast Ohio.
Gore acknowledged her victory in a tweet.
“The Journey has only begun! Thnx [sic] you to all of our neighbors in District 11,” she said. “We have work to do. To God be the glory.”
In the Democratic primary in the 11th District, Nina Turner conceded to Shontel Brown.
Brown led Turner by more than 3,000 votes.
Just in:@ninaturner concedes to @ShontelMBrown in the #OH11 special primary.
“For this campaign on this night, we will not cross the river,” Turner told supporters moments ago.
Current vote total in the Cleveland-area Democratic primary: pic.twitter.com/BfnZ21HfKf
— Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) August 4, 2021
