Ohio GOP congressional primaries feature double votes and numerous candidates

FILE - Shane Wilkin, Ohio Senate Republican from the 17th District, listens to debate at the Ohio State House Senate Chambers in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Wilkin is one of 11 candidates vying for the Republican nomination for a seat in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District, which extends from suburban Cincinnati to the West Virginia border. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Samantha Meadows in the November general election. (AP Photo/Joe Maiorana, File)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio residents face two unique scenarios in this year’s congressional primaries: They’re being asked to cast two votes for one of the seats and choose one of 11 candidates for the other.

The Democratic primaries, while competitive, promise to be less nail-biting than the GOP contests, which feature a congested race into which nearly a dozen contenders have poured a combined $4.5 million.

Both districts, the 2nd and the 6th, lean conservative and are likely to go for Republican candidates in the fall.

The 6th District includes the village of East Palestine, which is still suffering from the effects of a toxic train derailment last year.

PLENTY TO CHOOSE FROM IN PRICEY SOUTHERN OHIO DISTRICT

Eleven Republicans will have their names on the primary ballot for the 2nd Congressional District, which extends from the eastern suburbs of Cincinnati to the West Virginia border. The winner will face Democrat Samantha Meadows in the November general election.

Two of the better-known candidates are state Sens. Shane Wilkin and Niraj Antani. Political newcomers include businessmen Dave Taylor and Larry Kidd, as well as retired U.S. Marine drill instructor Tim O’Hara. Taylor raised $1.7 million for his campaign and Larry Kidd raised $1.4 million, while O’Hara raised $1.3 million.

All five are supporters of former Republican President Donald Trump and are running on conservative platforms such as supporting gun rights and opposing abortion.

Breaking from the pack is Phil Heimlich. Heimlich, son of the doctor who invented the Heimlich Maneuver, is a moderate Republican who does not support Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in this year’s presidential election.

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.

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Samantha Hendrickson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.