Complete Story |
District No./Area |
Winner (* = Incumbent) |
Party |
Upset (* = Open/New Seat) |
Ohio 1 |
Steve Chabot* |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 2 |
Brad Wenstrup |
Republican |
No* |
Ohio 3 |
Joyce Beatty |
Democrat |
No* |
Ohio 4 |
Jim Jordan* |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 5 |
Bob Latta |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 6 |
Bill Johnson |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 7 |
Bob Gibbs |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 8 |
John Boehner |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 9 |
Marcy Kaptur |
Democrat |
No* |
Ohio 10 |
Michael Turner |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 11 |
Marcia Fudge |
Democrat |
No |
Ohio 12 |
Pat Tiberi |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 13 |
Tim Ryan |
Democrat |
No |
Ohio 14 |
David Joyce |
Republican |
No* |
Ohio 15 |
Steve Stivers |
Republican |
No |
Ohio 16 |
Jim Renacci *Provisional ballots counts may change the outcome of this race |
Republican |
No* |
Ohio House of Representatives
Election experts have been watching the Ohio House races since earlier this year, trying to predict which party will control the Speaker’s gavel in 2013. The Democrats showed early momentum among Ohio voters after a resounding victory repealing Senate Bill 5, Ohio’s collective bargaining reform law. But the incumbent Republican leadership team was able to maintain control and ended up with a majority. Republicans ended up with 60 seats to Democrats’ 39, a net gain for the GOP.
Ohio Senate
The Ohio Senate Republicans held a predictable majority in this year’s election cycle. The Senate Republicans were able to maintain their 23 seats to the Democrats’ 10. One of the most closely watched Senate races this year was between appointed Senator Lou Gentile (D-Steubenville) and his little known opponent, Shane Thompson (R-Marietta). Although outspent 3-1, Senator Gentile won the right to remain in his seat for the next four years.
With Republican control of the Ohio House, Senate, and Governor’s office, the prospects of an active “lame-duck” legislative session between November 6 and the end of the year seem highly unlikely.
Ohio Supreme Court
Three Supreme Court races were on the ballot this year and the results proved to be some of the most unexpected of the night.
Justice Yvette McGee Brown was appointed by former Governor Ted Strickland (D) and faced Common Pleas Court Judge Sharon Kennedy for the unexpired term of now Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. Kennedy defeated McGee Brown by a large margin to serve the remaining two unexpired years of Chief Justice O’Connor’s term.
Justice Terrence O’Donnell beat sitting Ohio State Senator Skindell for O’Donnell’s third term on the Court.
Sitting Justice Robert Cupp lost a hotly contested race against William O’Neill. O’Neill was previously a State Appeals Judge and ran twice for U.S. Congress unsuccessfully. O’Neill led Justice Cupp in most of the polls leading up to the election.
Although Supreme Court candidates do not run with party affiliation, Judge Kennedy is affiliated with the Republican Party, as is incumbent Justice O’Donnell. O’Neill is affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Ballot Issues
Both of Ohio’s statewide ballot issues were soundly defeated. Issue 1, an issue required to be placed before the voters every 20 years asked if the State should hold a Constitutional Convention. This issue was voted down, as is often the case with Constitutional Convention questions
Issue 2 was more closely watched by pundits as it proposed a massive overhaul to the apportionment method in the State. This issue would have redefined how Ohio draws its statehouse and congressional political lines. Issue 2 was supported by the League of Women Voters, Ohio Democratic officials, the state’s major Unions, and many academics. The Republican establishment, and major business groups, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation opposed Issue 2. Issue 2 was helped in defeat by opposition from most of the editorial boards of the state’s major daily newspapers.
Contested Races
Below are results for some of the most hotly contested Ohio General Assembly and Congressional races. The last column indicates if the winner pulled an upset over the sitting incumbent or if the winner of an open seat caused a shift in party control of that district from the last election cycle.
Ohio House of Representatives
District No./Area |
Winner (*=Incumbent) |
Party |
Upset (*=Open/New Seat) |
2 – Mansfield |
Mark Romanchuk |
Republican |
Yes* |
3 – Bowling Green |
Tim Brown |
Republican |
No* |
5 – Columbiana Co |
Nick Barborak |
Democrat |
Yes* |
7 – Cleveland |
Michael Dovilla* |
Republican |
No* |
15 – Parma |
Nicholas Celebrezze* |
Democrat |
No* |
17 – Columbus |
Mike Curtin |
Democrat |
No* |
20 – Columbus |
Heather Bischoff |
Democrat |
No* |
21 – Columbus |
Mike Duffey* |
Republican |
No |
24 – Columbus |
Stephanie Kunze |
Republican |
No* |
28 – Cincinnati |
Connie Pillich* |
Democrat |
No |
30 – Cincinnati |
Louis Tehar* |
Republican |
No* |
39 – Dayton |
Fred Strahorn |
Democrat |
No* |
51 – Hamilton |
Wes Rutheford |
Republican |
* |
60 – Geauga Co. |
John Rodgers |
Democrat |
No* |
64 – Warren |
Tom Letson* |
Democrat |
No |
98 – Dover/New Philadelphia |
Al Landis (R)* |
Republican |
No -*Provisional ballots counts may change the outcome of this race |
99 – Ashtabula |
John Patterson |
Democrat |
Yes |
Ohio Senate
District No./Area |
Winner (*=Incumbent) |
Party |
Upset (*=Open Seat) |
30 – SE Ohio |
Lou Gentile* |
Democrat |
No |
*Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/track-presidential-campaign-ads-2012/