Hotline On Call

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel easily defeated his GOP Senate primary challengers, winning 62 percent of the vote when the Associated Press called the race with 27 percent reporting.

Mandel's victory was widely expected. Also on the ballot were tea party activist David Dodt, retired business owner Donna Glisman, clinical physiologist Eric Lamont Gregory, and orthopedic surgeon Michael Pryce, but none were real competition for the state treasurer.

While Mandel may have had an easy time in the primary, he''s facing a tough general election race against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Mandel has trailed the senator in most recent polls.

But Mandel is considered a rising young star in the GOP. He has quickly proved himself a prolific fundraiser, and held over $4 million in his campaign coffers at the end of December.

Ohio is expected to be a hotly contested state in the presidential race as well and with third party money already flowing in, the Senate contest should be one to watch.