Biden, Trump, Landsman, Moreno highlight primary wins for Republicans and Democrats

By Luca Filigenzi, Staff Writer

The results from the Ohio state and federal primaries, which occurred on Mar. 19, have set the stage for the representatives that will run in upcoming November elections. 

Donald Trump secured the delegates needed for the Republican presidential nomination with 79.2% of the vote, and current President Joe Biden received the delegates needed for the Democratic presidntial nomination with 87.1% of the vote.

Despite not remaining in the presidential race, Nikki Haley received 14.4% of the vote and Ron DeSantis gained 3.4% of the vote in the Republican presidential primary. U.S. House Representative Dean Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s District 3, garnered 12.9% of the vote in the Democratic presidential primary. 

While Democrat Sherrod Brown faced no opposition in the U.S. Senate primary election, the Republican candidates had a closer race. Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and businessman Bernie Moreno — who was the only candidate endorsed by Donald Trump — were the leading candidates. Moreno, a former car dealer, won the race with 50.5% of the vote against Dolan’s 32.9% and LaRose’s 16.6%. 

“Results are another indication of Trump’s strength in Ohio. The establishment Republicans led by Governor DeWine have had a tough year. Moreno may have a tougher time against Brown, a Democrat with crossover appeal,” Dr. Mack Mariani, interim director of the Philosophy, Politics and the Public Program (PPP) and Xavier political science professor, stated.

“Moreno’s nomination will probably boost Biden’s chances against Trump. Moreno is a weak candidate, having never run for political office before…him being associated with Trump in the general election, that can persuade moderate Republicans and independents to vote for President Biden and Senator Brown,” Jake Galvan, a sophomore PPP major, said.

For Ohio’s District 1, where Xavier is located, current Congressman Greg Landsman won the Democratic primary, and Army veteran Orlando Sonza won the Republican primary in uncontested races. Sonza — who was endorsed by current state senator J.D. Vance —  previously ran for a state senate seat in November 2022, but lost to Democrat Catherine Ingram. Not all of Cincinnati falls under the first district, as Eastern Cincinnati falls in District 2.

Current congressman, Republican Brad Wenstrup, did not seek re-election which led to diverse primary results. For the Democrats, Samantha Meadows was unanimously chosen, but for the Republicans, with 11 valid candidates on the ballot, there was little chance of one of them getting an absolute majority. 

With 25.4% of the popular vote, businessman David Taylor won the primary in a district that has consistently elected Republicans.

Other candidates included Tim O’Hara (21.9%), Larry Kidd (18.9%) and Shane Wilkin (9.6%). With such a split, balanced vote and with most candidates expressing loyalty to Trump hoping for an endorsement, the deciding factor ultimately returned back to individual policy, background and campaigning. 

Both Taylor’s and Moreno’s pro-Trump stance, along with the fact that the only explicitly non-Trump candidate in District 2, Phil Heimlich, received only around 5% of the vote.

Appellate court Judge Lisa Forbes, who serves as a judge in the 8th District Court of Appeals, won the Democratic Party’s nomination for an open seat on the Ohio Supreme Court, defeating 10th District Court of Appeals Judge Terri Jameson for the nomination.

Other races for the state Supreme Court’s three open seats in November include Republican Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan challenging incumbent Judge Micahel P. Donnelly, incumbent Democratic Justice Melody Stewart facing incumbent Republican Justice Joseph Deters, and Forbes facing Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins. Deters declined to run for his current seat in favor of challenging Stewart.

With representatives at various governmental levels set for elections in November, voters face prominent decisions this fall. 

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