MOUNT VERNON – With Knox County's absentee ballots counted, unofficial results show incumbent Mike DeWine holding an early lead in tonight's Republican primary election for Ohio governor, while Nan Whaley is leading the Democratic race.
Democrats casting absentee ballots in Knox County favored the ticket of Whaley and Cheryl L. Stephens, who are leading with 350 votes, according to unofficial results from the Knox County Board of Elections. Jon Cranley and Teresa Fedor currently trail in the race with 89 votes.
Results in the Republican primary show DeWine and Jon Husted with 512 absentee votes, while Jim Renacci and Joe Knopp have 328 votes, and Ron Blystone and Candice Workman have 235 votes.
On the Democrats' side in the race for U.S. Senate, early results show Tim Ryan in the lead in Knox County absentee ballots with 332 votes (76%). Morgan Harper trails at 74 votes (17%) and Traci TJ Johnson has 31 votes (0.7%)
In the Republican race for U.S. Senator, Knox County voters casting absentee ballots created a more competitive race, with no candidate having a majority. JD Vance leads with 341 (31%) of the votes, Matt Dolan is in second with 243 votes (22%) and Josh Mandel trails slightly behind at 227 votes (20.5%). Mike Gibbons has 198 votes (18%).
Trailing in the race are Jane Timken with 66 votes (6%), Mark Pukita at 25 votes (2%) and Neil Patel with 8 votes (0.7%).
The 12th District House race in the Democratic primary was close in absentee ballots, with Amy Ripell-Elton at 229 votes and Michael Fletcher with 183 votes.
Republican absentee voters in Knox County picked Troy Balderson with 849 votes over Democrat Brandon Michael Lape with 186 votes.
Absentee voters in Fredericktown favored the ambulance district tax levy renewal by 138 votes for and 77 votes against.
Only a few absentee voters cast ballots in the Loudonville Public Library proposed tax levy renewal, but all seven of them were for the levy, with none in opposition.
