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Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)
2026 →
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| 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 |
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 |
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 |
A Democratic Party primary took place on March 19, 2024, in Ohio's 8th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.
Vanessa Enoch advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 8.
All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies.[1] As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, 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%.[2]
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
|---|---|---|
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Ohio utilizes an open primary system. In an open primary system, a voter does not have to register with a political party beforehand in order to vote in that party's primary. In Ohio, voters select their preferred party primary ballots at their polling places on Election Day.[3][4][5][6]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
This page focuses on Ohio's 8th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)
- Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024
Candidates and election results
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 | |
| 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. | ||||
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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.
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"
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 8 in 2024.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "The story of Mr. Gelb’s career is a true inspiration. He started as a small business graduate, working for a giant corporation. But, instead of getting disheartened by the challenges, he used his observations to better himself. He upskilled himself with another degree, but when he saw workers getting treated poorly, he took the brave step of starting his own venture. His business, focusing on air pollution control, not only benefits significant companies but also ensures their employees’ safety and excellent health by meeting legal requirements."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 8 in 2024.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "My name is Nathaniel Hawkins and I am from Cleves, Ohio. I am the oldest of 4 children. I am a graduate of Taylor High School in the Three Rivers Local School District. During this time, I was honored to serve as the first person of color in over 100 years of our school's history to serve as Student Body President. Two weeks before I graduated high school, my youngest sibling Brandon suffered an anoxic brain injury. By a miracle, my brother awoke from his coma a month before I had to leave for college for the first time. However, he could no longer speak, walk, or even use the bathroom without the assistance of a catheter and a colostomy bag. After spending my first year of college three hours away from my family pursuing an International Business degree at Ohio University, I decided to transfer to the University of Cincinnati and come home to help with my brother’s care. During my time in college, I was honored to serve as the chapter president of my fraternity Phi Gamma Delta. After several years of being in the business of managing fitness facilities, I started my current job at Cincinnati Children's Hospital almost two years ago. Working here gives me the ability to help other families with sick children. On September 11, 2022, I became a father for the first time with my son Ezra Parker James Hawkins being born. Being a father is the greatest gift I will ever receive. I see the world my son is going to grow up in and I want better for him and every child."
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
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|
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." |
|||||
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.
Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.
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
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.[7]
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.[8] 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 |
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 |
See also
- Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)
- Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2024
- United States House elections in Ohio, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Ohio, 2024 (March 19 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2024
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2024
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ A majority in the U.S. House when there are no vacancies is 218 seats.
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules, "3501.01 Election procedure - election officials definitions.," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections, "Methodology: Inside Elections’ Baseline by Congressional District," December 8, 2023
