Rob Portman Wins Re-Election to Senate, Defeats Ted Strickland

OHIO - Rob Portman will hold on to his senate seat, defeating a challenge from former Ohio governor Ted Strickland. NBC News and the Associated Press called the race for the incumbent Portman nearly 10 minutes after the polls closed.

Portman is projected to get 59 percent of the vote, which equates 95,477 votes. In his return to big stage politics, Strickland was unable to shed the bitter taste his tenure as governor left in Ohioans mouths. He's projected to get 37 percent of the vote, 59,473 votes.

In the past four polls on the race, Portman held anywhere from a 13 to 21 point percentage lead. This despite the massive influx of dollars that flooded the Buckeye State. Reports say that nearly $50 million was spent on the Portman-Strickland battle by outside groups.

Much of Portman's campaign highlighted his work to combat the state's growing opioid crisis. A report from the Democratic staff of the Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 10 called Ohio the face of the nation's opioid addiction epidemic, saying that nearly 86 percent of people suffering from dependence or misuse issues do not have access to the care they need.

Photo from Rob Portman