Polls close on key primaries in Ohio

Polls are closing in Ohio as Democrats and Republicans anxiously await the results of key primaries in a state that will likely prove pivotal in November’s midterms.

For Republicans, the Tuesday primaries in Ohio are dominated by the Senate nominating contest. Former President Trump, who remains the most popular figure within the modern GOP, has endorsed author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance in the race, though Vance faces a crowded field of rivals, almost all of whom have campaigned as Trump acolytes.

Recent polling in the Republican primary to succeed retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has shown Vance overtaking former state Treasurer Josh Mandel for the first-place position since receiving Trump’s endorsement. 

Still, the contest remains close. An Emerson College poll conducted late last month found Vance leading Mandel by just 2 percentage points, putting the race well within the survey’s margin of error. 

Vance and Mandel aren’t the only candidates in the race. Also vying for the nomination are former Ohio state GOP Chairwoman Jane Timken, businessman Mike Gibbons and state Sen. Matt Dolan.

The primary is likely to be seen as a key test of Trump’s sway over the GOP and its voters as he weighs a potential comeback bid for the presidency in 2024.

Since leaving the White House last year, Trump has sought to flex his muscles as a Republican kingmaker capable of picking winners and losers within his own party. If Mandel ultimately beats Vance in the primary, it would likely be seen as a blow to the former president’s influence. 

But Trump isn’t the only national Republican figure with skin in the race. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is backing Mandel and the two campaigned together over the weekend. Meanwhile, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has also thrown his support behind Vance. 

The Republican Senate primary in Ohio has emerged as one of the clearest examples this year of how Trump has reshaped GOP politics. 

Throughout the campaign, the Republican candidates have fought bitterly to prove their conservative bona fides, running campaigns that echoed Trump’s rhetoric on everything from immigration and border security to his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him through widespread voter fraud.

Trump’s endorsement of Vance, however, has irked many Republicans, including some of the former president’s allies, who are quick to note Vance’s past criticism of Trump and see him as a political opportunist in a field of otherwise loyal supporters.

Rep. Tim Ryan (R-Ohio), meanwhile, is seen as the heavy favorite to win the Democratic Senate nomination in Ohio, though he still faces a primary challenge from attorney and community organizer Morgan Harper, who’s running as a progressive alternative to Ryan.

Democrats are also closely watching their party’s primary in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District, where Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) is locked in a rematch with former state Sen. Nina Turner after beating her in a hotly contested special election last year.

Brown already has the backing of some of her party’s biggest power players, including President Biden, who endorsed her last week. But Turner also has the support of prominent progressives. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed Turner for the seat on Monday.

Stay with TheHill.com for more coverage of Tuesday’s primaries.