Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024

	2026 → ← 2022
Ohio's 8th Congressional District
	Democratic primary; Republican primary; General election
Election details
	Filing deadline: December 20, 2023
	Primary: March 19, 2024; General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
	Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Voting in Ohio
Race ratings
	Cook Political Report: Solid Republican; DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Republican; Inside Elections: Solid Republican; Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
	U.S. Senate battlegrounds; U.S. House battlegrounds; Federal and state primary competitiveness; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
	Ohio's 8th Congressional District; U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th; Ohio elections, 2024; U.S. Congress elections, 2024; U.S. Senate elections, 2024; U.S. House elections, 2024; Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Ohio 2024 elections

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All U.S. House districts, including the 8th Congressional District of Ohio, held elections in 2024. The general election was November 5, 2024. The primary was March 19, 2024. The filing deadline was December 20, 2023.

This race was one of 75 races in 2024 that was a rematch of the 2022 election. In 2024, Democrats won 39 of these matches, while Republicans won 36 of them. Democrats won 38 of those districts in 2022, and Republicans won 37.

The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 119th Congress. All 435 House districts were up for election.

At the time of the election, Republicans held a 220-212 majority with three vacancies.^[1] As a result of the election, Republicans retained control of the U.S. House, winning 220 seats to Democrats' 215.^[2] To read more about the 2024 U.S. House elections, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 64.6%-35.4%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Donald Trump (R) would have defeated Joe Biden (D) 60.3%-38.3%.^[3]

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 8

Incumbent Warren Davidson defeated Vanessa Enoch in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 8 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Warren Davidson (R)	62.8	237,503
	Vanessa Enoch (D)	37.2	140,625

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 378,128
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 8

Vanessa Enoch defeated Nathaniel Hawkins and David Gelb in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 8 on March 19, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Vanessa Enoch	72.0	15,650
	Nathaniel Hawkins	17.0	3,689
	David Gelb	11.1	2,407

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,746
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 8

Incumbent Warren Davidson defeated Kay Rogers in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 8 on March 19, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Warren Davidson	80.0	59,712
	Kay Rogers	20.0	14,933

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 74,645
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Vanessa Enoch

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "For over 20 years, Dr. Vanessa Enoch has been a successful business owner, serving as the President & CEO of Cultural Impact, LLC. Through her management and technology consulting firm, she provides invaluable business support services. With a wealth of experience living overseas and working across different continents and cultures, Dr. Enoch brings a unique perspective to her work. But Dr. Enoch's accomplishments extend beyond the business world. As a three-time Democratic Nominee for the US House of Representatives in Ohio's 8th congressional district, she has proven her dedication to public service and advocacy. In addition to her political endeavors, Dr. Enoch is an award-winning journalist, contributing insightful news articles to both local and national publications. Her expertise in Criminal Justice reporting has earned recognition from the prestigious Society for Professional Journalism. Dr. Enoch's impressive educational background further underscores her expertise and commitment to making a difference. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Information Technology from Xavier University, as well as a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Union Institute & University. Her groundbreaking dissertation focused on the barriers faced by black women judges across Ohio, shedding light on critical issues of representation and equality. Enoch strives to inspire individuals and fellow business owners to embrace their passion, purpose, & power"

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Reproductive freedom is a right we must uphold: In Ohio's 8th District, the right to make informed and personal decisions about reproductive health is under threat. Ohio voted to protect this freedom, but there is no national protections in place. I am dedicated to safeguarding and expanding access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. This includes protecting the right to choose, ensuring availability of birth control, and advocating for women's health services. Our community thrives when each individual has control over their reproductive choices, free from government interference. It's not just a health issue; it's about our rights, our freedoms, and our futures. I stand committed to upholding these essential freedoms for all.

Revitalizing Ohio's 8th District with robust job creation and economic growth should be a priority for our district and our state. Dr. Enoch is committed to bringing new industries and opportunities to our communities, ensuring that every citizen has access to well-paying jobs and a thriving local economy

Dr. Enoch will fight for accessible and affordable healthcare for everyone in our district. It's time to ensure that all residents of Ohio's 8th District have the health coverage they need and deserve, regardless of their income or background.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 8 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Ohio

Election information in Ohio: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

In-person: Oct. 7, 2024
By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 7, 2024
Online: Oct. 7, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

In-person: Oct. 29, 2024
By mail: Received by Oct. 29, 2024
Online: Oct. 29, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 4, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 8, 2024 to Nov. 3, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/venoch.jpg

Vanessa Enoch (D)

Reproductive freedom is a right we must uphold: In Ohio's 8th District, the right to make informed and personal decisions about reproductive health is under threat. Ohio voted to protect this freedom, but there is no national protections in place. I am dedicated to safeguarding and expanding access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. This includes protecting the right to choose, ensuring availability of birth control, and advocating for women's health services. Our community thrives when each individual has control over their reproductive choices, free from government interference. It's not just a health issue; it's about our rights, our freedoms, and our futures. I stand committed to upholding these essential freedoms for all.

Revitalizing Ohio's 8th District with robust job creation and economic growth should be a priority for our district and our state. Dr. Enoch is committed to bringing new industries and opportunities to our communities, ensuring that every citizen has access to well-paying jobs and a thriving local economy

Dr. Enoch will fight for accessible and affordable healthcare for everyone in our district. It's time to ensure that all residents of Ohio's 8th District have the health coverage they need and deserve, regardless of their income or background.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

I am a public policy and business consultant with a deep passion for social justice and human rights. I have actively worked on various causes for marginalized and oppressed communities. My personal passions include ensuring fairness within the criminal justice system and in the jury selection process. I am particularly concerned about the high incarceration rates of poor, mentally ill, and minority individuals in America's prisons.

I am also an advocate for systemic changes to address issues faced by Black Americans due to systemic racism and inequalities. I support equitable public school funding and sensible gun laws to prevent mass shootings. Additionally, I am a proponent of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal energy.

I am committed to providing affordable healthcare, supporting a public Medicare option, and saving Social Security. This includes addressing issues like mass incarceration, which I believe affects the social security system, and advocating for immigration system reforms to encourage new tax revenue.

With a professional background in both business and education, my diverse experiences have informed my approach to policy-making, and my leadership roles in various capacities reflect my commitment to public service and community engagement.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

I look up to Nelson Mandela. Mandela was unjustly incarcerated for 27 years, and upon release he held no bitterness and no malice. His gentle and kind heart, good character and charisma allowed him to become the head of state in South Africa.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

The first historical event that happened in my lifetime that I remember was a very personal event. It was when I was a first grader and President Jimmy Carter visited our school. I got to shake the Presidents hand. It was a moment I never forgot, even at the tender age of 6 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

My very first job was with McDonald's. I started working there when I was 16 years old. I worked there for nearly a year, before I was recruited by a customer who was a Manager at Thom McAn Shoestore. The Manager thought I had excellent customer service skills and asked me to come and work for them. They paid me much more money and offered me more desirable hours, so it was an opportunity I couldn't resist.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

I would be Superman. I really like his concern for making the world right and how he balanced that with his career as a journalist and his romantic love for Lois Lane. I am happy to be the woman version of Superman, but Superwoman is not as appealing as a superhero as Superman.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

My greatest struggle in life has been single parenting my daughters after the loss of my husband. Parenting should be a two-person job. Financially, it is a significant strain on one person. It is even more difficult to put two children through college as a single mother. My children were very active, which made it even more difficult. I remember the years that I was juggling their volleyball, basketball, soccer games and track meets. It was especially difficult because I often had to work several jobs to make ends meet and maintain the standard of living that they had grown accustomed to. I was running my consulting business and I was fortunate to be able to find online teaching jobs that enabled me to teach an hour per day a few days per week and I could grade papers when it was convenient for me. Before my husband died, I went back to school for my doctorate degree. My program required at least 20 hours of study per week, so at one point I was writing papers on the sidelines at sporting events and beachside on family vacations. I continued my studies after he died, and juggled my parenting duties, a doctoral program, my small business, and work life. My children are both adults now. One is pursuing her undergraduate degree, the other after starting her career in big tech is now a law student.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

I believe the greatest challenges we will face as a nation over the next decade will be climate change, the possibility of civil and world war, and economic collapse as a result of not educating US citizens, the high cost of health care, the student debt crisis, and the transference of generational poverty and the simultaneous absence of wealth transfer.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

No, I have no interest in cloning myself after anyone. I pride myself on being unique and offering all that I am to the role of representative.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Vanessa Enoch (D)

The stories that touch my heart the most are the cancer stories and the stories that parents tell me about the loss of their children. The most disheartening stories are the tragedies that could have been preventable. In 2018, a mother in Middletown told me the story of her son had died of an opioid addiction, and the story of a father that lost his daughter to opioid addiction two days before Easter and then a son two days before Christmas the same year.

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Warren Davidson	Republican Party	$1,152,789	$1,095,556	$394,701	As of December 31, 2024
Vanessa Enoch	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$20,422	As of December 31, 2023
David Gelb	Democratic Party	$27,540	$26,353	$0	As of March 31, 2024
Nathaniel Hawkins	Democratic Party	$6,172	$3,123	$301	As of June 30, 2024
Kay Rogers	Republican Party	$7,953	$6,391	$0	As of December 31, 2024
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.^[4]
Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Race ratings: Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Ohio in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Ohio, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Ohio	U.S. House	Major party	50	$85.00	12/20/2023	Source
Ohio	U.S. House	Minor party	25	$85.00	3/18/2024	Source
Ohio	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	1% of the vote cast for governor in the district in the last election	$85.00	3/18/2024	Source

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Competitiveness
Presidential elections

State party control

Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Ohio.

Ohio U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2024	15	15	2	61	30	6	8	46.7%	4	30.8%
2022	15	15	1	67	30	8	10	60.0%	6	42.9%
2020	16	16	0	67	32	11	11	68.8%	10	62.5%
2018	16	16	2	82	32	12	11	71.9%	8	57.1%
2016	16	16	1	59	32	5	5	31.3%	4	26.7%
2014	16	16	0	47	32	6	6	37.5%	5	31.3%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Ohio in 2024. Information below was calculated on 2/12/2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Seventy candidates filed to run for Ohio's 15 U.S. House districts, including 28 Democrats and 42 Republicans. That was 4.7 candidates per district, the most since 2018.

In 2022, the first election after the number of Congressional districts in Ohio decreased from 16 to 15 following the 2020 census, 4.5 candidates ran. In 2020, when the state still had 16 Congressional districts, 4.2 candidates filed per district. In 2018, 5.1 candidates filed.

The total number of candidates who ran for the U.S. House in 2024 was also higher than any other year this decade besides 2018, when 82 candidates ran.

Two districts—the 2nd and the 6th—were open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. That was more than in 2022, when only one district was open, and 2020, when none were.

Rep. Bill Johnson (R), the incumbent in the 6th District, resigned on Jan. 21 to assume the presidency of Youngstown State University. A special election to fill Johnson’s seat took place place on June 11.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R), the incumbent in the 2nd district, retired from public office. Eleven candidates—one Democrat and 10 Republicans—ran to replace Wenstrup, the most candidates who ran for a district in 2024.

Fourteen primaries—six Democratic and eight Republican—were contested. That was the fewest contested primaries since 2016, when 10 were. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 17 primaries were contested.

Three incumbents faced primary challengers, a decade-low. The three incumbents—Reps. Bob Latta (5th), Warren Davidson (8th), and David Joyce (14th)—were Republican.

Democratic and Republican candidates filed to run in all districts, meaning none were guaranteed to either party.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+14. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 14 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Ohio's 8th the 99th most Republican district nationally.^[8]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Ohio's 8th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
38.3%	60.3%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.^[9] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline	Republican Baseline	Difference
35.5	63.2	R+27.6

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Ohio, 2020

Ohio presidential election results (1900-2020)

12 Democratic wins
19 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	D	R	R

See also: Party control of Ohio state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Ohio's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Ohio
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	5	5
Republican	2	10	12
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	15	17

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Ohio's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Ohio, May 2024
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Richard Michael DeWine
Lieutenant Governor	Jon Husted
Secretary of State	Frank LaRose
Attorney General	Dave Yost

State legislature

Ohio State Senate

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	7
	Republican Party	26
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		33

Ohio House of Representatives

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	31
	Republican Party	66
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		99

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Ohio Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2018.