J.D. Vance defeats Tim Ryan in Ohio U.S. Senate race

Author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance won Ohio’s competitive U.S. Senate race on Tuesday, keeping the seat in Republican hands as the party tries to wrest control of Congress from Democrats.

Vance defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan with 53% of the vote, according to unofficial results.

Speaking to an elated crowd at a hotel in downtown Columbus, Vance lauded the accomplishments of Republicans up and down the ticket and thanked the people who helped him reach victory.

"We've been given an opportunity to do something, and that's to govern, and to govern to make the lives of the people of Ohio better," Vance said. "That's exactly what I aim to do. Because of you, I get a chance to do it."

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Ohio election results: Ohio senate race between J.D. Vance vs. Tim Ryan

Vance, best known for his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” spent months locked in a competitive, costly race against Ryan, a 10-term congressman. Republicans viewed holding Ohio as critical to reclaiming control of the Senate as they contended with tight races in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

The Senate majority was still up for grabs late Tuesday as other states continued to count votes.

Vance eked out a victory in a crowded GOP primary in May after securing an endorsement from Donald Trump, even though he was once critical of the former president. Trump visited Ohio on Monday to urge Ohio Republicans to line up behind his chosen candidate, his second visit to the Buckeye State in as many months.

Throughout the race, Vance navigated criticism that he’s inauthentic and unwilling to be a bipartisan broker like retiring U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. Questions circulated about an Ohio nonprofit he founded and later shuttered, with some accusing him of using it to jumpstart his political career. He also faced blowback over comments he made about the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Still, Vance found success in a message anchored around the economy and frustration over President Joe Biden. He repeatedly blasted U.S. energy policy and called for more security at the southern border. He also advocated for the traditional nuclear family, saying he opposes divorce, abortion and pornography.

Voters said on the campaign trail that they appreciated the backstory laid out in his memoir. With his victory Tuesday, Vance became the first Ohioan to win a U.S. Senate seat without running for any office previously.

Tim Ryan concedes Ohio Senate race

In Boardman, Ryan told a sad but still enthusiastic group of supporters that he called Vance to concede. He thanked his wife, Andrea, who quit her job to help with his campaign, and his three children who also campaigned for him. He said their family has one rule: No regrets.

"That's the way we operate in this country − when you lose an election, you concede," Ryan said. "You respect the will of the will people. We can't have a system where, if you win it's a legitimate election and if you lose, they stole it. That is not how we move forward in the U.S."

Ryan easily fended off his May primary challengers and spent the summer dominating the airwaves. He pushed for an end to “stupid fights” in Washington and presented himself as moderate, even though he’s voted with Biden’s policies 100% of the time. Some voters said they split their ticket between Ryan and Gov. Mike DeWine in Tuesday’s election.

Like Vance, Ryan focused heavily on kitchen table issues, training his message on a tax cut to help people weather high costs. He spoke often about upping economic competition against China, a message that some felt would encourage anti-Asian sentiment. He also touted federal laws that increased the scope of Intel’s project in central Ohio and provided funds to improve roads and bridges across the state.

The congressman largely stayed away from social issues, with the exception of abortion access. He cast the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as government overreach and supported legislation that would codify abortion protections.

Ryan also outraised Vance every step of the way, bringing in a record $48 million and spending over $45 million. Vance, meanwhile, got outside help from national GOP groups that didn't initially plan to funnel resources to Ohio.

But Ryan always faced an uphill battle in a state that Trump won by 8 percentage points. While he boasted support from some Republicans who were disenchanted with the GOP, it wasn’t enough to flip Portman’s seat.

When asked about his future plans, Ryan said, "I have no idea."

He added with a smile: "Short term − to drink wine with my wife."

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Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Senate results: JD Vance defeats Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race