Republican state Sen. Michael Rulli wins US House seat in Ohio vacated by GOP’s Bill Johnson

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican state Sen. Michael Rulli has won a special election in eastern Ohio for the U.S. House seat formerly held by the GOP’s Bill Johnson. The 55-year-old Rulli defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak Tuesday to fill the remainder of Johnson’s unexpired term. The two will face off again Nov. 5 for a full two-year term that begins in January. Rulli is a second-term state senator from Salem in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley, where he directs operations for a chain of family-owned grocery stores. Ohio’s 6th Congressional District has lacked a representative since Johnson retired in January to become Youngstown State University president.