Ohio State Sen. Michael Rulli (R) won his race over the Democrat opponent Michael Kripchak on Tuesday evening.
Rulli earned 32,520 votes, or 54.6 percent of the vote, in Ohio’s special general election for the 6th Congressional District, while his Democrat opponent Michael Kripchak earned 27,000 votes, or 45.4 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The race was called at 9:02 p.m. on Tuesday.
Rulli spoke out after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 while carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride.
This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, are still on fire at mid-day Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Days after the derailment, during an interview with Breitbart News Saturday, Rulli stated that it was “not safe” for anyone living within ten miles of the town to bathe in or drink from the water.
In March 2023, during an interview with Breitbart News Saturday, Rulli praised former President Donald Trump for his visit to East Palestine, stating that it had “brought hope back” to the small town.
Rulli has also called for United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to resign over the train derailment in East Palestine, calling him “an embarrassment” and “incompetent” after Buttigieg had told people he had “1,000 train accidents” and the derailment was not “that bad.”
