Trump-endorsed Vance projected winner in Ohio

Incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine is projected to win the Republican gubernatorial primary in Ohio, holding off challenges from within his own party.

DeWine, who is seeking a second term, was favored to win but faced a spirited faceoff with Republicans who were disappointed with his relatively strict response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those looking to replace DeWine included former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, former state Rep. Ron Hood and Joe Blystone, a farmer who jumped into the race. Trump did not endorse a candidate in this primary contest, but Renacci campaigned on Trumpism and cited Trump's support of him in 2018 during his failed campaign for Senate.

In the Ohio Democratic primary for Senate, ABC News projects Rep. Tim Ryan as the winner.

Ryan entered Congress in 2003 and briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

He has spent his campaign focusing relentlessly on an economic message and avoiding what he calls "Republicans' culture wars."

Ryan has long represented the working class Youngstown area and was the clear frontrunner in the hotly contested Republican primary battle for retiring Sen. Rob. Portman’s seat. The other candidates were Traci Johnson and Morgan Harper.

Shortly after his projected win, Rep. Ryan tweeted, "On to November! Never bet against Ohio."

Though Ryan is projected to win the nomination handily, he faces a tougher feat in the general election. Former President Trump won Ohio in both 2016 and 2020.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa

Former President Donald Trump participated in a radio interview with Ohio 98.9 on Tuesday to boost his favored Senate candidate J.D. Vance in the state during the final hours of the race.

While on the show, Trump was asked about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and denounced the leak as "demeaning" but did not comment on the draft itself. Notably, Trump vowed to appoint justices who would overturn the nearly 50-year precedent.

Trump went on to get out the vote for Vance but acknowledged, as he always does, that his preferred candidate wasn't always on his side.

"Well, I've liked him. He was rough on me but so was everybody else, they all were, really. But he was pretty, I would say normal rough, relatively speaking," Trump said. "And I just thought he was very exceptional. He came back a long way as you know, he retracted everything. Overall, I just think he's gonna be very good."

"They're all good," Trump added. "But J.D. is going to win."

Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. across Ohio, where voters cast ballots in primaries for the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and auditor.

Key races in the state are expected to shed light on the endorsement power of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

The Ohio secretary of state's office released final early voting totals -- showing that 301,837 absentee ballots were requested by-mail or in person, and that 263,542 votes had already been cast statewide.

Those numbers surpass the 2018 total of 300,765 absentee ballots requested through the end of the early voting period and 260,443 total early votes cast.

Click here to follow the results live.