Vance wins in Ohio to keep Senate seat for Republicans

Vance's victory follows that of Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, who won by a larger margin and whose race was called much earlier in the night.

By Ben Whedon

Published: November 8, 2022 11:14pm

Updated: November 8, 2022 11:48pm

Trump-backed Republican J.D. Vance on Tuesday night won Ohio's Senate race for the open seat of retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman.

The Associated Press called the race for Vance with 94% of the votes counted. The "Hillbilly Elegy" memoirist won 53.6% of the vote, compared to 46.3% for Democrat nominee Rep. Tim Ryan.

Trump endorsed Vance in a crowded GOP primary field, which helped him reach and win the general election, though Vance prior to entering the 2022 election cycle was critical of Trump.