Republican Donald Trump has pulled out a victory in the presidential race in Ohio, a battleground state known for picking White House winners.
Trump's victory Tuesday over Democrat Hillary Clinton followed a hard-fought contest marked by dozens of visits to the state by the candidates, their running mates and a host of surrogates.
Trump won the state's 18 electoral votes despite Republican Gov. John Kasich's refusal to endorse him after dropping out of the GOP presidential primaries.
Trump's popularity in traditionally Democratic areas persisted even after release of a video in which he talked about groping women and kissing them without their permission. Clinton redoubled Ohio campaign efforts when the video's release, but failed to gain enough urban support to overcome Trump's lead.
A Clinton win nationally would mark the first time a Republican candidate has won Ohio without winning the White House.
