Renacci wins GOP primary to challenge Brown for U.S. Senate

 

Voters in Ohio decided on a number of races statewide on Tuesday night, setting the stage for several competitive match-ups in the fall.

In the governor’s race, Mike DeWine and running mate Jon Husted won the Republican primary, defeating Mary Taylor and running mate Nathan Estruth.

Dewine, who has served as Ohio’s attorney general since 2011, will face Democrat Richard Cordray in the fall.

Cordray, who served as the head of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is running with Betty Sutton. They defeated a field of six candidates, with former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich coming in second.

DeWine and Cordray are running to fill the seat of term-limited Republican John Kasich, who leaves office in January.

Ohio’s senior U.S. senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown is seeking a third term in office. He was unopposed in his primary,

However, the Republican side saw a contentious contest between several candidates. U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci emerged as the winner, defeating Cleveland investment banker Mike Gibbons and Marysville businesswoman Melissa Ackison as his closest challengers.

Both parties had unopposed candidates in the attorney general’s race. Democrat Steve Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney, will face Republican Dave Yost, who currently serves as state auditor, in the general.

Running to fill Yost’s seat as auditor will be Democratic former U.S. Rep. Zack Space and Republican state Rep. Keith Faber. Both faced no primary challenge.

With current Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted running for lieutenant governor, Republican state Sen. Frank LaRose will face Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Clyde for the office in the fall. Both were unopposed in their primaries.

Democrat Rob Richardson faced no opposition in winning his party’s nomination for Ohio treasurer, while on the Republican side, Robert Sprague defeated Sandra O’Brien. The current treasurer, Republican Josh Mandel, had originally intended to challenge Brown for U.S. Senate, but dropped out of the race, citing a health issue his wife is facing.

West Virginia primary

While Ohio’s primary drew some attention, most national observers kept a close eye across the river on Tuesday.

In West Virginia’s primary for U.S. Senate, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won his party’s nomination. He defeated U.S. Rep Evan Jenkins and former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship.

Blankenship, who announced his candidacy after his release from a one-year prison sentence following his trial and the investigation into the Upper Big Branch mining disaster which killed 29 workers, had attracted considerable controversy. President Donald Trump had urged Republican voters to reject Blankenship, declaring him unelectable.

Morrisey will face incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin in the fall. Manchin, who won office in a 2010 special election following the death of Robert C. Byrd, is seeking a second full term. He defeated challenger Paula Jean Swearingen in the Democratic primary.