Ohio voters in the 6th Congressional District are heading to the polls for a special general election to fill the seat left vacant by Republican Bill Johnson. Johnson, who served in Congress for over a decade, resigned in January, leaving an opportunity for a new representative in a district that heavily favors Republicans. The primary voters selected two nominees for the special general election: Republican Michael Rulli and Democrat Michael Kripchak. Rulli is campaigning as a Trump supporter, touting himself as an “America-first conservative” and “pro-Trump delegate,” while Kripchak has spent significantly less on his campaign compared to Rulli.
The special general election will take place on Tuesday, with polls closing at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Associated Press will be providing coverage for the unexpired term in the 6th Congressional District. The first results released by Ohio are expected to be from ballots cast before Election Day, which have historically been more favorable for Democrats. However, Republicans are more likely to vote on Election Day, so the early results may not accurately reflect the final outcome of the election.
Rulli emerged as the winner of the Republican primary, particularly excelling in the northern tip of the district in Mahoning and Columbiana counties. The outcome of the election will only be declared by the AP when it is determined that there is no scenario where trailing candidates could close the gap. If the margin is less than half a percentage point, the vote automatically goes to a recount. The AP may declare a winner before the recount if the lead is deemed too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
As of March 12, there were 528,784 registered voters in the 6th District, with a total of 5,497 ballots cast before Election Day. In the 2022 general election, voter turnout was 52% of about 536,837 registered voters. On election night, results are usually reported quickly, with the tabulation ending around 2:54 a.m. ET with a high percentage of total votes counted. If a winner is not declared by the AP, coverage will continue to follow any newsworthy developments such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory.
With 147 days until the November general election, the outcome of this special general election in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District will give insight into the political landscape leading up to the next major election. Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election for more updates and developments.
