COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Businessman Dave Taylor has won the Republican primary for Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District seat, propelling him toward a likely win in the November general election.
Taylor, who has touted himself as a political outsider in a packed and expensive race, prevailed against nearly a dozen fellow GOP candidates to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who retired last year.
He’s set to face Democrat Samantha Meadows in November in the solidly red district, which extends from the eastern suburbs of Cincinnati to the West Virginia border.
Taylor defeated 10 other candidates in what was the most expensive of Ohio’s congressional races this election. He raised roughly $1.7 million, the most of any candidate, though several others also reported over $1 million in campaign funds.
Taylor previously worked as a local prosecutor before taking over his family’s business, Sardinia Ready Mix, Inc., a concrete supplier.
His platform includes classic conservative talking points, such as securing the United States’ southern border, opposing abortion, and supporting gun rights and former President Donald Trump.
One primary, two votes in East Palestine's district
Constituents in the 6th Congressional District are being asked to vote not once, but twice, for a nominee to replace former U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson.
The first vote involves a June special election that will determine who fills out the rest of Johnson's current term; the second is for the November general election that will determine who serves a full term in the district starting in January 2025. Voters may choose the same nominee for both elections.
Johnson, a Republican, resigned before his term ended to become president of Youngstown State University on Jan. 21, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine to schedule the summer special election.
In the heart of the district, which runs along the Ohio River in eastern Ohio, is East Palestine, which recently observed the one-year anniversary of a devastating toxic train derailment.
Republican Rick Tsai, a chiropractor from East Palestine, is running on the derailment issue. But he's in a tough fight against two current lawmakers, state Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus and state Sen. Michael Rulli, both of whom are better funded and have secured key endorsements, including those from East Palestine officials.
The Democratic candidates running in the Republican-leaning district include Rylan Finzer, a small-business owner from Stark County, and Michael Kripchak, an Air Force veteran and restaurant worker from Youngstown.