Fox News Decision Desk projects that Republican candidate and author JD Vance will defeat Democratic U.S. House Rep. Tim Ryan in the Ohio Senate race.
Vance will replace retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman and keep Ohio in the GOP’s column as the Senate is expected to remain close to its already 50-50 split going into Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Early in the race, polls showed Vance trailing behind Ryan, who painted himself as a moderate Democrat and often tried to distance himself from President Joe Biden and his dismal approval rating among Ohioans.
Vance closed that polling gap in the final weeks of the race, leading Ryan to further distance himself from Biden, specifically on issues like the ongoing crisis at the U.S. southern border.
The two clashed over the issue at a debate in October, with Ryan saying he disagreed with some of the Biden administration’s policies, and Vance accusing the Democrat of purposely allowing mass migration in order to alter national elections in Democrats’ favor.
