Clinton takes Ohio, but Sanders wins big in Athens and other primary election results

Connor Perrett and Marianne Dodson contributed to this report. The results from the March 15 primary are in. Who came in first locally? Who came out on top in the presidential election? The New Political has it covered.The Presidential Election:Democrats:Hillary Clinton came out on top in Ohio; with 99 percent of precincts reporting, she edged out Bernie Sanders by 14 percent, receiving 56.5 percent of the vote as of press time, according to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.Clinton also secured victories in Illinois, Florida and North Carolina.As of press time, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, the race in Missouri is too close to call, according to AP.“Thank you, Florida, thank you North Carolina, thank you, Ohio,” Clinton said in her victory speech in Florida. “We know we will add to our delegate lead to roughly 300, with over two million more votes nationwide. We are moving closer to securing the Democratic Party nomination and closer to winning this election in November.”In Athens County, it was a different story entirely. Sen. Bernie Sanders secured 61 percent of the vote, beating Clinton. Sanders won over Clinton in Athens by the largest percentage than any other county in the state, winning by 23 percent. Athens is one of 13 counties where Sanders was victorious over the former first lady, senator and secretary of state, according to The New York Times.Andrew Price, the Ohio University College Democrats communications director, said he believes Sanders’ win in Athens is due to the efforts of the large voter turnout fostered by groups like the College Democrats and Bobcats for Bernie. At the same time, he’s happy with the way the state voted.“We are very happy to see Hillary Clinton win Ohio,” Price said. “Ohio has always been a strong part of the Clinton political legacy; from her victory over President Obama in 2008, to Bill Clinton's victory in his 1992 primary and both his presidential elections. Her campaign worked hard to win Ohio with her campaigning in Columbus on Sunday, and Bill campaigning in Portsmouth on Saturday, which (the College Democrats) had the pleasure of being able to see.”Republicans:Statewide, Ohio Gov. John Kasich beat Donald Trump with 47 percent of the vote. Trump came in second with 35.9 percent of the vote, but all 66 of Ohio’s delegates will go to Kasich due to Ohio’s winner-take-all system.Trump won three of the remaining states that held primaries Tuesday, taking Florida with 45.8 percent, Illinois with 39 percent and North Carolina with 40.4 percent.Kasich’s first primary win in Ohio gave some much-needed fuel to his campaign.“It’s been my intention to make you proud,” Kasich said in Berea, Ohio, on Tuesday night. “I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land.”After losing the Florida Primary, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio announced he would be suspending his campaign.“We're happy to see how many voters turned out today and how big of an impact Ohio has on the election,” Ohio University College Republicans President Anna Lippincott said. “College Republicans has been working hard for multiple races throughout the primary season, and we're looking forward to an exciting next couple months!”Ohio Senate Race:Democrats:Former Ohio Gov.Ted Strickland won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate with 65.4 percent of the vote, beating out lesser-known candidates P.G. Sittenfeld and Kelli Prather.“Thank you Ohio Democrats – I am honored to have earned your vote, your trust and your nomination,” Strickland said in a statement. “I am running to fight for Ohio’s working people because that’s where I came from, that’s who I care about and that’s who I will stand up for in the U.S. Senate.”Republicans:Incumbent Ohio Sen. Rob Portman won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate race with 82 percent of the vote, beating Don Eckhart.After his victory, Portman immediately took to social media Tuesday night to criticize his opponent Ted Strickland, launching a video campaign called “Democrats for Ted,” which features other Democrats’ criticisms of Strickland.

"[@Ted_Strickland]'s been ghost, he's not been speaking to any of the issues, he's refusing to debate"- Tracy Heard https://t.co/PHNHcIyS48

— Rob Portman (@robportman) March 16, 2016

Ohio’s 94th District:Two Democrats flocked to the opportunity to fill Rep. Debbie Phillips’, D-Albany, seat in the Ohio House. In the end, Sarah Grace beat Eddie Smith with 57 percent of the district’s vote.“I have more depth of experience in relating to people in a lot of different situations, and I think that that resonated without the district,” Grace said, comparing herself to Smith.Looking forward, Grace believes that the endorsement from Phillips will help her beat her Republican rival, Jay Edwards, who ran unopposed in his own party’s primary election.“In some ways it puts everyone on equal footing,” Grace said. “But I believe having the support of the incumbent – Debbie Phillips – is fantastic. She’s been such a huge supporter and provided so much help and knowledge, and that’s important to me.”