“For me to be standing here today is a testament to the American dream,” Vance told reporters outside the precinct. “My heart is just overwhelmed with gratitude.”

The senator expressed cautious optimism as he confirmed he voted for himself, former President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Bernie Moreno.

“I feel good,” Vance said. “But you never know until you know. Our message is that we do expect to win. I felt this way before I won my first election and I feel that way today.”

Vance said he missed a call from Trump at 3 a.m. and decided to wait until his ride to the airport after voting to return it.

“Hopefully he’s sleeping,” Vance said. “I doubt it though. So right now I’m focused here and on paying down the debt I owe to this country. It’s a debt I’ll never be able to fully repay.”

The 40-year-old legislator urged the nation not to lose its soul whatever the election’s outcome.

“No matter what, half the country is gonna be hurting today,” Vance said. “We feel the best way to heal that country is to govern strong and as best we can. But family, friendships those are what matters most. Nobody should ever discard them for the sake of politics.”

As polls opened this morning, Trump was ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris by nearly 9 points in Ohio — a state he carried by more than 8 in both 2016 and 2020 — according to the RealClearPolitics survey average.

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