Donald Trump-backed newcomer Mike Carey has won the crowded Republican primary and State Rep. Allison Russo has won the Democratic primary for an open Ohio 15th Congressional District seat. The pair will face each other in November to serve the final year of Steve Stivers term.
Carey, a coal lobbyist who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump garnered 37% of the vote in the Republican race to easily emerge from the field of 11 candidates, according to unofficial vote totals.
Carey, who raised the most money in the race, defeated the second place-finisher State Rep. Jeff LaRe, who was endorsed by Stivers, by 24 percentage points. Stiversleft his seatin May to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
In the Democratic race, Russo, of Upper Arlington, easily secured the nomination by taking 84% of the vote over retired U.S. Army Col. Greg Betts, according to unofficial results.
In the Cleveland area, Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown held off progressive Nina Turner to win the Democratic primary for an open U.S. House seat in Ohio's 11th district.
The contest Tuesday had emerged as a proxy for the future of the Democratic Party. Brown had the support of Hillary Clinton, the political arm of the Congressional Black Caucus and several leading unions.
She will vie to replace Rep. Marcia Fudge, who left to be President Joe Biden’s housing chief, in the 11th Congressional District in November. Brown will likely win November’s general election easily in the solidly blue district which stretches from Cleveland to Akron.
Businesswoman Laverne Gore won the Republican race in the 11th district and will face Brown on the November ballot.
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