Ohio voters delivered major victories to Democrats in Tuesday’s election, choosing Amy Acton for governor and returning Sherrod Brown to the U.S. Senate. Mercer County voters, however, strongly favored their Republican opponents.

ABC News projected Acton’s victory over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Brown’s victory over Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Acton will become Ohio’s first woman elected governor, ending 16 years of Republican control of the office.

Statewide returns reported by Spectrum News at 10:48 a.m. Wednesday showed Acton receiving approximately 52.3% of the vote to Ramaswamy’s 44.4%. Brown held approximately 50% against Husted’s 45.2%, with about 98.8% of the expected vote reported in both races. Those figures remain unofficial.

Brown’s win marks a political comeback after his 2024 defeat. The special election determines who serves the remainder of the Senate term vacated by JD Vance, which ends January 3, 2029.

Democrats also gained ground in the secretary of state contest. Republican Robert Sprague conceded to Democrat Allison Russo late Tuesday, although the Associated Press had not called the race at the time of that report.

Other contests remained unsettled Wednesday. In the attorney general race, Democrat John J. Kulewicz led Republican Keith Faber by 28,407 votes in unofficial returns. The Ohio Capital Journal reported that 102,148 provisional ballots remained outstanding statewide, making it premature to declare that contest decided.

Mercer County’s results painted a different political picture. With all 36 precincts reporting, Ramaswamy received 75.77% of the county’s gubernatorial vote, while Husted received 76.30% in the Senate race. Republican congressional candidate Jim Jordan earned 80.20%, and Republican state Rep. Angie King received 81.88%.

Jordan won reelection to Congress, according to an Associated Press call reported by the Ohio Capital Journal.

Mercer County voters also supported every local levy on the ballot. Unofficial returns showed approval for fire protection levies in Center, Dublin, Hopewell, Liberty and Marion townships, along with Mendon’s operating levy.

County turnout reached 62.82%, with 18,239 ballots cast among 29,036 registered voters.

State Issue 3, the constitutional amendment concerning voter identification, also passed statewide, according to an AP projection.

The election gives Democrats important statewide victories while underscoring the continued strength of Republican support in Mercer County. Whether those wins signal a lasting change in Ohio’s political direction will take more than one election to establish.

Results are unofficial as of November 4. Eligible provisional and outstanding military and overseas ballots may still be added during the canvass. The Ohio Secretary of State says certified results are generally released approximately three weeks after the election.