ELECTION UPDATE | Ditzler wins Mahoning commissioner seat

Austintown Township Trustee David Ditzler won his county commissioner seat with 15,476 votes, according to unofficial final results.

In second place was Walter Pishkur with 8,804 votes. In third was Joe Louis Teague with 2,105 votes.

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Early returns in the Republican presidential primary in Mahoning County is a close one with Rick Santorum receiving 552 votes to Mitt Romney’s 519 votes.

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The Associated Press has projected newt Gingrich will win the Georgia Republican presidential primary, while Mitt Romney will winn in New Hampshire and Vermont.

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The polls are closed in Ohio.

CNN projects a slim lead for Mitt Romney in exit polling.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Newt Gingrich wins the Georgia Republican primary.

An exit poll of voters in Tuesday’s Georgia Republican presidential primary shows Gingrich, who represented the state in Congress, is drawing strength from people saying the former speaker’s ties to the state were important.

Gingrich was winning around three-fourths of the votes of Georgia Republicans saying his relationship to the state affected their vote.

Around 6 in 10 said that mattered little to them. Those voters were divided roughly evenly among Gingrich, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

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If you have yet to cast your ballots, the polls are still open until 7:30 p.m.

At The Vindicator, election night pizza is served to the staff at 6 p.m.

The first numbers should emanate from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties at about 9 p.m. and updates will be posted right here on Vindy.com.

Don't miss expanded election coverage in Wednesday's Vindicator.