Turnout for Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Ohio was down significantly compared to 2018 as Republicans showed up in even greater numbers, MSNBC reported.
Democratic turnout was down 27% in Ohio, a decrease of over 185,000 votes, MSNBC reported. Republicans, on the other hand, increased their turnout by 28%, securing 230,000 more votes.
“I wouldn’t base projections for the midterm off of the primary, but … if you’re looking for signs of Republican enthusiasm and a lack of Democratic enthusiasm, then you probably could point to the Ohio primary results,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Republicans had a far more competitive Senate primary than Democrats in Ohio, with polling showing multiple different conservatives in the lead in the weeks prior to election day. Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan easily won the nomination with 70% of the vote.
Polls have continually shown the Republican Party increasing its lead over the Democratic Party when it comes to enthusiasm. The GOP had a 17-point enthusiasm advantage over Democrats in an NBC News poll released in March, up from the 11-point advantage it had in October.
The March primary in Texas had Democrats increasing their turnout by 4%, but Republicans increased their turnout by 27%. Five counties along the U.S.-Mexico border, which have large percentages of Latino voters, showed a turnout increase of 25% in the Republican primary.
All of former President Donald Trump’s endorsements in the Texas, Ohio and Indiana primaries have moved on to the general election with the exception of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will face a runoff on May 24, Politico reported.
“I think his endorsement is valuable,” Kondik told the DCNF while adding that Trump’s record is likely to become more inconsistent as the primaries continue. “And I think Republicans believe it’s valuable, so they’ll continue to seek it.”
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