The race took place for the US House seat previously held by former GOP Rep. Steve Stivers, who left Congress to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
Carey, a coal lobbyist who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the Republican special primary in August. Carey had been the favorite to win the seat in the heavily Republican district, but Democrats had still been hoping for an upset with Russo, a Democratic state representative.
The outcome of the race will be viewed as a victory for the Trump-wing of the Republican Party, which has largely prevailed over the small faction of anti-Trump dissenters within the GOP as the party gears up to try to win back the House in the midterm elections.
Carey strongly embraced Trump during the race, putting the former President front and center in his campaign. His campaign website features the tagline: “Pro-Trump. America First. Outsider. Ready to Fight.” In one campaign video, Carey says that he “stood with President Trump when he took on the political establishment,” and argues that “President Trump deserves credit for empowering so many.”
“He gave a voice to every day Ohioans who felt left behind,” he says in the video and vows to fight what he calls the “radical agenda” of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a prominent progressive.
Russo pitched herself in the race as “an independent voice for Ohio” and her campaign described her as someone willing to work with either party to get results.
She touted her work in the state legislature, arguing that she has fought for everyday Americans. “Allison got to work on day one in the Ohio General Assembly: taking on corruption, advocating for children and families, and fighting for increased access to healthcare,” her campaign website states.
In one campaign video, Russo said, “We can’t let our recovery be rigged to favor Wall Street while the rest of us on main street are left behind. Ohio needs an economy that values the middle class, people who work for a living, not just the rich and powerful.”
