Where The Ohio Race Stands

The presidential election results in Ohio are still coming in, but Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has the early edge over Hillary Clinton.

According to the New York Times live results, Trump leads Clinton 52 to 43 percent with 55 percent of the state’s results in as of 8:30 p.m. EST.

In what might be a good sign for Trump, Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio has been projected to win re-election against Democratic challenger Ted Strickland, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Ohio is worth 18 electoral votes and is crucial to Trump’s chances of winning the presidency. Without Ohio, Trump would have to win a slew of other states where he has not performed strongly in polls, such as Colorado, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

In 2012, President Barack Obama beat then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, 50.1 to 48.2 percent, according to the New York Times.

No Republican presidential candidate has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio, according to PBS.

Although Ohio is crucial to any candidate trying to win the White House, the changing demographics of the country might have dimmed the importance of the state for Democrats.

States like Colorado, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania have been safe bets for Democrats over the past two elections, giving them more pathways to obtaining the necessary 270 electoral college votes to win a general election. 

Sources: New York Times (2), Washington Free Beacon, PBS/ Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (2)