COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rep. Tim Ryan is one step away from a new office at the U.S. Capitol.
Ryan easily defeated progressive former consumer protection attorney Morgan Harper and Columbus activist and tech exec Traci Johnson to capture the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The 48-year-old from Niles will move on to November's general election, where he will look to replace the retiring Sen. Rob Portman.
"We are here to heal. We are here to become Americans. We are here to come together and I want Ohio to be the economic powerhouse, not just in America, but in the world," Ryan said after his victory.
Despite his victory in Tuesday's primary election, the 10-term congressman and 2020 presidential candidate will face a difficult task prevailing in a state that has shifted Republican over the last several years. Ryan spent much of his primary campaign for the Senate positioning himself as a blue-collar crusader fighting for working families, often dressing in sweatshirts and baseball caps.
Ryan will face venture capitalist and bestselling author J.D. Vance in November's general election. Vance, who earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, won the Republican nomination for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
You can watch Ryan's victory speech in the player below:
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