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Trump-Backed Republican Mike Carey Wins House Seat in Ohio

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Republican Mike Carey, a coal lobbyist endorsed by Donald Trump, defeated Democrat Allison Russo in a special election for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District.

The U.S. House seat was held for a decade by Republican Steve Stivers, who resigned after voting earlier in the year to impeach Trump.

“The results of Tuesday’s elections will leave Democrats with a 221-213 advantage over Republicans in Congress, with Brown and Carey each retaining a seat for their respective party. A third open congressional seat in Florida, where primaries were being held Tuesday, also is very likely to remain status quo and in Democratic hands,” PBS reported.

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“I wanted to be somebody that could go and make a difference in Washington,” he told a crowd of supporters Tuesday night in Lancaster. “Believe me, we have too many career politicians in Washington. That’s the last thing that I will ever be.”

Carey released a statement following his win.

“The people of Ohio’s Fifteenth Congressional District have placed their trust in me and I could not me more humbled to represent them. Republican, Democrat, or Independent, I promise to fight for every person in this district because the problems facing our nation are beyond partisanship and have real consequences for working families,” he said.

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Carey said he spoke with Trump, adding that the former president was “very happy with the votes.”

“Congratulations to Mike Carey on a fantastic victory in Ohio,” Trump said in an emailed statement. “I am very proud to have endorsed him early and strongly. He will be a great congressman!”

Joe Biden endorsed Russo, who raised more money in the district than any Democrat in history.

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“There’s a real need for these investments in communities, for critical infrastructure, making sure that we’re addressing the health care needs of people throughout the district, and opportunity,” Russo said before polls closed. “At the end of the day, this is really why I ran for Congress is because people just want access to opportunity.”

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