Updated, April 15, 2022, 5:43 PM ET
Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance has received Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement in the race for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat.
The decision ends months of jockeying in a Republican Senate primary where his backing could be pivotal.
Vance has been locked in a heated race against former state treasurer Josh Mandel, investment banker Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, and state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians.
Dolan is the only major candidate who has not aggressively courted Trump’s endorsement.
Vance said in a Tweet that he was incredibly honored to have the former president's support.
"I'm incredibly honored to have President Trump's support. He was an incredible fighter for hard working Americans in the White House, he will be again, and I'll fight for the America First Agenda in the Senate," Vance said.
The candidates and their affiliated super PACs have spent millions trying to paint one another as insufficiently loyal to the former president.
Earlier Story
Dozens of Republican leaders in Ohio are mounting a last-minute effort to urge former President Donald Trump not to endorse JD Vance in the crowded upcoming primary for an open Senate seat.
A draft letter circulating among Republicans and obtained by The Associated Press calls on Trump to remain neutral in the race.
It was written following news reports that Trump was going to endorse Vance.
The letter is a sign of anxiety among some Republicans about which candidate Trump may pick in advance of the state’s May 3 primary. Vance has come under scrutiny from some of Trump’s most loyal supporters for criticizing the former president in the past.
“We know there are many qualified candidates in this race who have stood up for the America First agenda over the years and have carried the Trump mantle over the years, again with the notable exception of JD Vance,” they wrote. “While we were working hard in Ohio to support you and Make America Great Again, JD Vance was actively working against your candidacy.”
During the 2016 presidential race, Vance was a strong critic of Trump, calling him "reprehensible," "noxious" and an "idiot."
The letter, signed by GOP party leaders, including a slew of county chairs, tells the former president that “an endorsement that cuts against your support and legacy in Ohio will only serve to confuse or upset voters” and may even suppress Republican turnout in the fall.
The crowded Republican field featured many candidates who have been vying for Trump's endorsement including Cleveland businessman Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken along with Vance. State Senator Matt Dolan is the only candidate who hasn't been focused on getting Trump's backing.
Trump will headline an evening rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Delaware, north of Columbus, on April 23.
Earlier this month, Vance received the endorsement from Ohio Right to Live.
For information on how to vote and a rundown of what you can expect on your ballot, visit WOSU's 2022 Voter Guide.
