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/

Printer-Friendly Version

0 Comments