Republican JD Vance, bestselling author of the book “Hillbilly Elegy,” will become the next Senator from Ohio in Jan. 2023, after defeated Democratic opponent Tim Ryan.
NBC News has called the race as of 10:56 on Nov. 8, with Vance at 53.8% of the vote and Ryan 46.1% with 86% of votes in. ABC News has also called the race for Vance as of 10:59, with 54% of the vote going to Vance and 46% going to Ryan, also with 86%.
Ryan has conceded the election to Vance, telling supporters that, “We can’t have a system where if you win it’s a legitimate election and if you lose someone stole it.”
Vance and Ryan were running to replace a soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat currently occupied by Republican Rob Portman. Ohio’s other Senate seat is held by Democrat Sherrod Brown. (RELATED: Maricopa County Election Official Issues Public Apology After Arizona Voting Delays)
The Vance campaign has enjoyed considerable support from billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who donated $10 million to a Vance-supporting Super PAC in March 2021, before Vance had even formally announced his candidacy.
NEWARK, OH – APRIL 30: J.D. Vance, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, speaks during a campaign rally at The Trout Club on April 30, 2022 in Newark, Ohio. Former President Donald Trump recently endorsed J.D. Vance in the Ohio Republican Senate primary, bolstering his profile heading into the May 3 primary election. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Running in a swing state, Ryan sought to ingratiate himself with working class voters in Ohio during his campaign. In a September campaign ad, Ryan claimed he had “voted with Trump on trade,” referring to a vote on the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which Trump signed and the administration called a “historic win.”
Ohio hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since 2012, when Ohio went to Barack Obama for the second time in a row.
Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson was an early supporter of Vance’s candidacy. Vance appeared on Carlson’s show multiple times. Carlson reportedly lobbied Trump do endorse Vance, which the former president did in April.