[4] Two years later, Vance was elected vice president of the United States as Trump's running mate.

Due to his high approval ratings within the Republican Party, most of the candidates sought the endorsement of former president Donald Trump.

Former state treasurer Josh Mandel, who had been the Republican nominee for Senate in 2012, led most polls until late January, when businessman Mike Gibbons surged after spending millions in TV ads.

[6] On April 9, Gibbons said that middle-class Americans don't pay enough in income taxes, which immediately led to his poll numbers plummeting.

On April 15, Trump endorsed writer and commentator JD Vance, who had criticized him in the past.

The primary was considered by many as a test of Trump's influence over the Republican Party as he won Ohio by 8 points in 2020.

However, aggregate polling on the run-up to the election indicated a competitive race, and most outlets considered it to be "lean Republican".

Representatives State officials State senators State representatives Mayors County officials Individuals Newspapers and other media Organizations Labor unions Aggregate polls Graphical summary Josh Mandel vs. Amy Acton Josh Mandel vs. Tim Ryan Jane Timken vs. Amy Acton Jane Timken vs. Tim Ryan JD Vance vs. Amy Acton Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Vance won 10 of 15 congressional districts.