Here are four competitions to watch in Ohio:
JD VANCE V. JOSH MANDEL
This contest to succeed Republican Senator Rob Portman, who is retiring, is shaping up as a high-profile test of former President Donald Trump’s ability to shape the Republican field to his liking as he considers another White House bid. .
Trump upset this tightly contested race by backing “Hillbilly Elegy” author and venture capitalist JD Vance, a newcomer to politics who was trailing the other candidates. Ohio Republicans have argued that Vance’s past criticism of Trump could hurt the party’s chances of retaining the seat in November.
Vance’s most important rival is Josh Mandel, a former U.S. Marine and former state treasurer, who had been considered the frontrunner prior to Trump’s endorsement. Like Vance, Mandel backed Trump’s bogus election fraud allegations.
Other candidates include: Jane Timken, a former chairwoman of the Republican party in the state; banker Mike Gibbons, and Matt Dolan, a wealthy state senator who is the only candidate to acknowledge that Biden was legitimately elected.
TIM RYAN’S SNAT CANDIDACY
US Representative Tim Ryan is seen as the favorite to win Democratic support over Morgan Harper, a progressive lawyer, and Traci Johnson, a technology executive.
Ryan has represented the Youngstown area in Congress since 2002, earning a reputation as a centrist on social issues and a liberal on economic issues. The winner of this contest will likely face an uphill battle against the Republican candidate in a state that has steadily drifted to the right over the past decade.
GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE FACES CHALLENGERS
Incumbent Republican Governor Mike DeWine faces two challengers: former Rep. Jim Renacci, who failed to run for the US Senate in 2018, and farmer Joe Blystone. If DeWine wins the primary as expected, he is favored for re-election in the fall.
DEMOCRATIC DUEL: BROWN V. TURNER
The Democratic primary in the state’s 11th Congressional District, based in Cleveland, features a rematch between incumbent Representative Shontel Brown and progressive Nina Turner, who lost in a special election last year. This race was seen as a proxy battle between the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which backed Turner, and establishment figures, who lined up behind Brown.
The winner of this primary will be strongly favored to win in November.