The Republican Party in the House of Representatives can breathe a little easier after the arrival of reinforcements to the chamber. Conservative State Senator Michael Rulli managed to win the special election in Ohio's Sixth District to fill the seat of Bill Johnson, who resigned in January. With the new legislator, the GOP increases its majority to 219, compared to 213 for the Democrats.

The election of the Republican candidate ran closer than expected, given that it took place in a strongly conservative district, and barely 10% of the votes separated him from his rival, Democrat Michael Kripchak. In the last four elections, Bill Johnson kept his seat with a margin of more than 30% of the ballots.

The contest will be replayed in November

Both contenders will meet again on November 5, the day on which they will compete for the seat for the next full legislature. Some analysts point out that the Democratic candidate's results give him some chance and show that the GOP is weakening in districts where it seemed unbeatable.

In statements reported by AP, Rulli analyzed the results: “We knew the polls were gong to be close, and the guy I ran against really worked. He’s a really hard worker. But this is a blue-collar district, this is Bruce Springsteen, the forgotten man, ‘Joe Bag of Donuts.’ They don’t trust the Democrats and Republicans, and they look at the individual. And I’m really good at retail politics."

For his part, Kripchak celebrated the final figures, ensuring that they had exceeded expectations: "Tonight’s results have not diminished our spirit. Though historically a red district, our campaign outperformed expectations, proving the doubters wrong."