With just over 40 percent of the vote in his favor, the race for the Republican nomination for state representative of the 67th district was won Tuesday by Kris Jordan, R-Ostrander, who defeated Denise Martin, R-Delaware, and Brian Lorenz, R-Powell. Jordan received 4,981 votes, while Martin and Lorenz received 3,758 and 3,660 votes, respectively.

Jordan has represented the 19th district in the Ohio Senate since 2011. He was also the state representative for the 2nd district from 2009-10.

Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, currently serving his fourth and final term as the 67th district representative, routed Joel Spitzer in the Republican race for Jordan’s 19th district senate seat.

Lorenz, a member of Powell City Council and the former mayor, was popular among the Powell and Liberty Township precincts, but he wasn’t able to sustain that momentum throughout the rest of the county. Lorenz said he was encouraged by the showing he had and added he would take a couple of weeks to evaluate his campaign before deciding what’s next. Asked what he would do differently in the future, Lorenz suggested he might organize his campaign stops differently.

“People need to get to know me a little bit more, and I need to get to know them a little bit more. Especially up in the northern parts of our county,” he said. “I will definitely take a look at that … Anyone that trusted me enough to put a check by name, I am eternally grateful, and I don’t take that lightly.”

Lorenz was disappointed with the lack of voter turnout, saying, “People have died to allow us this freedom, so I just wish more people would exercise that freedom.”

The 12,399 votes cast in this year’s primary is down from over 14,000 in 2014 and 2016.

Martin was backed by the Delaware County Republican Party Central Committee, and she held serve throughout the city of Delaware. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Jordan, who is supported by Larry Householder, in the precincts surrounding Delaware.

Jordan was one of 10 candidates backed by Householder who won their primaries on Tuesday.

The Gazette reached out to both Martin and Jordan for comments, but neither responded.

In the Nov. 6 general election, Jordan will run against Democrat Cory Hoffman, who ran unopposed in the primary, for the 67th district seat in the Ohio House of Representatives.