Voters have elected Republican Bernie Moreno to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate according to projections from the Associated Press based on unofficial results. Moreno defeated incumbent Democratic U.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bernie Moreno, a Republican political newcomer and Cleveland businessman, won Ohio’s hotly contested Senate race, ousting incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown by an approximately four-point margin. The Associated Press called the contest around 11:30 p.m. ET Tuesday night with about 90% of Election Day precincts reported.

It is a major victory for Republicans and a serious blow to Democrats’ efforts to maintain their majority in the Senate.