DeWine Wins GOP Senate Primary
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lt. Gov. Michael DeWine handily won the GOP nomination Tuesday for retiring three-term Sen. Howard Metzenbaum’s seat, defeating former National Institutes of Health director Bernadine P. Healy.
On the Democratic side, Joel Hyatt, a millionaire lawyer who is Metzenbaum’s son-in-law and handpicked choice for successor, held a lead over a woman commissioner who said the Senate needs “more moms.”
The Ohio Senate race was being closely watched as one of a handful that could imperil the Democrats’ majority in Washington this fall. Democrats hold a 56-44 edge in the Senate but are defending 22 of the 35 seats up for election.
Also in Ohio, state Sen. Rob Burch won the Democratic nomination to challenge popular first-term Republican Gov. George V. Voinovich.
With 79% of precincts reporting in the Ohio Senate race, Hyatt had 341,301 votes, or 47%, to Cuyahoga County Commissioner Mary Boyle’s 314,654 votes, or 43%. Columbus businessman Ralph Applegate was trailing.
In the four-way race on the Republican side, DeWine had 351,705 votes, or 53%, to 211,229 votes, or 32%, for Healy. State Sen. Gene Watts and aviation consultant George Rhodes were splitting the balance of the vote.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
