WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Michael Rulli won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing eastern Ohio on Tuesday. The former state senator's victory allows him to retain a seat he first won in June, during a special election to fill the unexpired term of longtime Republican Rep. Bill Johnson. Johnson left Congress to become president of Youngstown State University. Rulli defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak in both contests. Kripchak significantly outperformed previous Democrats in Ohio's 6th Congressional District this summer, which had raised the party's hopes for November. The Associated Press declared Rulli the winner at 9:04 p.m. EST.