Complete Story
2012 Election Recap
By Bricker & Eckler LLP
The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is sharing a 2012 election night recap courtesy of OABA member Bricker & Eckler LLP.
Ohio was again at the center of national politics this year in one of the most costly and closest presidential race in recent history. President Barack Obama won Ohio and clinched a second term. In addition, the U.S. Senate remained in Democratic hands, in part because of incumbent Sherrod Brown’s victory in the Buckeye State. The U.S. House of Representatives got “redder” as Republicans added to their numbers in the chamber. Finally, the Ohio Statehouse looks substantially the same as Republicans maintained control of both the House and Senate.
This Election Night Bulletin is a brief recap of the major state and national races that will shape the future of Ohio for many years to come. Perhaps most importantly, the state and congressional lines will remain the same after the defeat of “Issue 2,” a plan to modify the apportionment process supported primarily by left-leaning groups failed by a 2-1 margin.
Below is a brief description of some highly contentious and closely watched races around Ohio. Please note that all reported results are “unofficial” and subject to change based on the review of the Ohio Secretary of State.
President
No state was more closely watched, or more frequently visited by candidates than Ohio this cycle. Both presidential contenders knew that no candidate has won the presidency without Ohio since Kennedy in 1960 and no Republican has ever won without the Buckeye State. Accordingly since April, 2012, President Obama and Democratic groups spent approximately $62 Million in Ohio on political advertising. Governor Romney and his supporters spent close to $65 million in the state during the same period.*
As a result, the President captured Ohio’s coveted 18 Electoral College votes and consequently, secured a second term as president. All of the polls leading into Tuesday’s election showed the President leading Governor Romney on Election Day. Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton Counties all broke for Obama, while Northwest and Southeast Ohio went to Romney. In the end, President Obama was able to claim a second term as President of the United States.
U.S. Senate
Another hotly contested, and highly expensive race in Ohio was the U.S. Senate contest between long-time Ohio politician Senator Sherrod Brown (D) and relative newcomer, State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R).
Incumbent Senator Brown was running for his second term in the Senate and enjoyed the endorsement of all major daily newspapers in Ohio. Mandel is the sitting State Treasurer and raised large amounts of money from outside of the State of Ohio while getting additional support from SuperPACs across the nation. Senator Brown won the election by approximately 5 percentage points, garnering more than 2.5 million votes to Treasurer Mandel’s 2.3 million.
U.S. House of Representatives
Republicans maintained control of the U.S. House of Representatives as Republican Speaker John Boehner (R-Westchester) led his party to another majority in the chamber. Although Ohio loses two congressional seats this cycle due to a shrinking population, the state still had its fair share of hotly contested U.S. House races. Many of the districts are brand new districts with first-time Congressional candidates from both parties. Below is a summary of the results:
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/