WARREN — It will be O’Brien vs. O’Brien in the general election for the Ohio Senate 32nd District seat.

Sandra O’Brien is the winner in Tuesday’s Republican primary for that seat, according to unofficial results. Ballots postmarked by Monday have to arrive at county boards of elections by May 8 to be part of the official count. The election results will be certified later in May.

But O’Brien of Lenox Township, a former Ashtabula County auditor, had a comfortable — and insurmountable — lead Tuesday over Kenneth J. Polke of Ashtabula, a former dentist.

O’Brien was ahead 69.3 percent to 30.7 percent Tuesday.

“I’m very grateful to voters for their support,” O’Brien said. “I’m ready for the next phase.”

Once the results of the Republican primary are certified, she will face state Sen. Sean J. O’Brien, D-Bazetta, who ran unopposed in his party’s primary for the seat. He is seeking his second four-year term in the state Senate.

The district includes all of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties and a portion of Geauga County.

Sandra O’Brien won Trumbull County 68.6 percent to 33.4 percent.

She won Ashtabula County, where both of the Republican candidates reside, 75.5 percent to 24.5 percent. O’Brien also won Geauga County 65.6 percent to 34.4 percent.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that postponed the primary from March 17 to Tuesday, O’Brien said, “It was a very strange campaign. It was hard for people in Trumbull County to get to know me, but we’ll campaign in the general election. It felt like the campaign would never end. Who would have predicted a pandemic?”

O’Brien spent 12 years as Ashtabula County auditor starting in 1994.

She unsuccessfully ran for state treasurer in 2006 and 2018 and for secretary of state in 2010.

This was the second time Polke has run for office, losing a 2010 congressional race in Colorado, where he lived for years.

Sean O’Brien has a huge monetary advantage over the Republican challenger.

He had $192,448 in his campaign finance fund while Sandra O’Brien had $853.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com