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Ohio State Senate District 18

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Ohio State Senate District 18
Incumbent
Assumed office: January 1, 2021

Ohio State Senate District 18 is represented by Jerry Cirino (R).

As of the 2020 Census, Ohio state senators represented an average of 357,844 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 350,560 residents.

About the office

Members of the Ohio State Senate serve four-year terms with term limits.[1] Half of the Senate is up for re-election every two years. Ohio legislators assume office the first day of January after a general election.[2][3]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 2, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution states: "Senators and representatives shall have resided in their respective districts one year next preceding their election, unless they shall have been absent on the public business of the United States, or of this State."[4]

Article 15, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution states: "No person shall be elected or appointed to any office in this state unless possessed of the qualifications of an elector."[5]

Article 2, Section 5 of the Ohio Constitution states: "No person hereafter convicted of an embezzlement of the public funds, shall hold any office in this state; nor shall any person, holding public money for disbursement, or otherwise, have a seat in the general assembly, until he shall have accounted for, and paid such money into the treasury."[6]


Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[7]
SalaryPer diem
$71,099/yearNo per diem is paid.

Term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Ohio legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Ohio Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative limited Ohio senators to no more than two four-year terms, or a total of eight years.[8]

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.


Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Ohio General Assembly, the vacancy must be filled by an election conducted by the members of the legislative house where the vacancy happened who are members of the party that last held the seat. A simple majority vote is needed in order to approve a replacement.[9]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Ohio Const. Art. 2, Sec. 11


2016 pivot county

206 Pivot Counties Logo.png
See also: Pivot Counties and Legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties

This district was one of 710 state legislative districts that, based on boundaries adopted after the 2010 census, intersected with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.

The 206 Pivot Counties were located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. At that time, the partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties was slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.[10]

District map

Redistricting

2020-2023

See also: Redistricting in Ohio after the 2020 census

State legislative maps enacted in 2023

See also: State legislative district maps implemented after the 2020 census

Due to a 2022 Ohio Supreme Court ruling, the Ohio Redistricting Commission was required to draw new state legislative maps following the 2022 elections.[11]

On September 26, 2023, the Ohio Redistricting Commission voted 6-0 (with one member absent) to adopt new state legislative maps.[12][13] On October 5, the ACLU of Ohio filed a motion on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and other plaintiffs asking the Ohio Supreme Court to invalidate the new state legislative maps on the grounds that they violated the state constitution.[14]

On November 27, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the maps and dismissed the following cases: League of Women Voters of Ohio et al. v. Ohio Redistricting Commission et al., Bennett et al. v. Ohio Redistricting Commission et al., and Ohio Organizing Collaborative et al. v. Ohio Redistricting Commission et al.[15] Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy wrote for the majority: "The bipartisan adoption of the September 2023 plan is a changed circumstance that makes it appropriate to relinquish our continuing jurisdiction over these cases.[16]

The majority was composed of the court's four Republicans.

Justice Jennifer L. Brunner wrote a dissent on behalf of the court's other two Democrats, saying, "It is illusory to suggest that a bipartisan vote to adopt the September 2023 plan constitutes a change in circumstances that somehow diminishes our review power or renders a unanimous redistricting plan constitutionally compliant. There is nothing in Article XI, Section 6 that suggests that bipartisan agreement on a plan renders it presumptively constitutional, and we have flatly rejected that idea."[17]

State Senate

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for Ohio’s 2024 state legislative elections.

Ohio State Senate Districts
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Ohio State Senate Districts
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.


State House of Representatives

Below is the state House map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for Ohio’s 2024 state legislative elections.

Ohio State House Districts
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Ohio State House Districts
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.


State legislative maps enacted in 2021-2022

A federal court ruling on Ohio's legislative maps took effect on May 28, 2022, which ordered maps drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission in February be used for the 2022 elections and set a legislative primary date of August 2.[18] These maps took effect for Ohio's 2022 state legislative elections.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new state legislative district maps by a 5-2 vote on September 16, 2021. The two Democratic members of the commission, state Rep. Emilia Sykes (D) and state Sen. Vernon Sykes (D), dissented.[19] Senate President Matt Huffman (R), a member of the commission, estimated that the new maps would create 62 Republican seats and 37 Democratic seats in the House, and 23 Republican seats and 10 Democratic seats in the Senate. Cleveland.com reported that Democrats on the commission agreed with Huffman's Senate estimates, but said the new House map would create 65 Republican seats and 34 Democratic seats.[19] Thus, under the terms of the state's 2015 constitutional amendment, since the legislative district boundaries were passed strictly along partisan lines, they would only allowed to be used for elections in 2022 and 2024, and the commission was required to enact a new map by 2026.[20]

However, on January 12, 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against the state's enacted legislative maps, ordering the Ohio Redistricting Commission to redraw them within 10 days.[21] The commission voted to approve a new set of maps in a 5-2 vote on January 22. Click here to view the House map, and click here to view the Senate map.

On February 7, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the state's redrawn legislative maps and ordered the Ohio Redistricting Commission to submit new maps.[22][23] The commission did not meet the February 17 deadline.[24] On February 24, the Ohio Redistricting Commission voted 4-3 to approve new legislative maps. State Auditor Keith Faber (R) joined the two Democratic members of the commission in voting against the maps.[25]

On March 16, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the redrawn legislative maps and ordered the Ohio Redistricting Commission to draw new maps by March 28.[26] On March 22, the commission agreed to appoint two independent consultants to assist in the map-making process.[27] State Sen. Vernon Sykes (D) nominated University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald and state Rep. Bob Cupp (R) nominated National Demographics Corporation president Douglas Johnson.[28]

On March 28, the Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new state legislative district boundaries in a 4-3 vote. DeWine, La Rose, Huffman, and Cupp voted to approve the new boundaries, and Russo, Sykes, and Faber voted against.[29] The commission approved maps it had drawn, since the Senate map drawn by the independent consultants was not complete at the time of the vote.[30]

On April 14, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the Ohio Redistricting Commission's legislative maps for the fourth time and ordered the commission to redraw the maps by May 6.[31] On April 20, in a 2-1 decision, a panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an order saying it would not intervene to decide a primary date or map until May 28. If the state court proceedings did not produce a map by May 28, the court said it would order the primary to take place on August 2 using the third set of maps adopted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission.[32] The state court proceedings did not produce a map by May 28, so the order took effect.[18]

On May 5, the commission voted 4-3 to resubmit legislative maps it had previously submitted to the court on February 24.[33] DeWine, La Rose, Huffman, and Cupp voted to approve the boundaries, and Russo, Sykes, and Faber voted against.[34] The Ohio Supreme Court struck down the maps on May 25 and ordered the commission to redraw them by June 3.[35]

On May 27, in a 2-1 decision, a federal panel ordered the maps to be implemented for the 2022 election.[36]

How does redistricting in Ohio work? On November 3, 2015, voters in Ohio approved a constitutional amendment to create a bipartisan state legislative redistricting commission. The commission comprises seven members: the governor, state auditor, secretary of state, one person appointed by the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, one person appointed by the House leader of the largest political party of which the speaker is not a member, one person appointed by the President of the Ohio State Senate, and one person appointed by the Senate leader of the largest political party of which the president is not a member.[37][38]

Maps drawn by the commission are valid for 10 years if at least two commissioners from each major political party vote for them. Should the maps be passed along strictly partisan lines, the maps are valid for four years.[37][38]

A six-member advisory commission is also involved in the congressional and state legislative redistricting processes. The majority leaders of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio State Senate each appoint three members, "at least one of whom must be from a different party, and at least one of whom must not be a legislator."[39]

All legislative districts are required to be compact and made of "contiguous territory." Also, the "boundary of each district [must] be a single nonintersecting continuous line." The amendment forbids district plans from favoring or disfavoring either political party.[37][38]

Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for Ohio’s 2024 state legislative elections.

Ohio State Senate District 18
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Ohio State Senate District 18
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Ohio State Senate District 18

Incumbent Jerry Cirino defeated Katie O'Neill in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 18 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jerry Cirino
Jerry Cirino (R)
 
54.1
 
106,470
Image of Katie O'Neill
Katie O'Neill (D) Candidate Connection
 
45.9
 
90,464

Total votes: 196,934
Candidate Connection = 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 Ohio State Senate District 18

Katie O'Neill defeated Chris Callender in the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 18 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Katie O'Neill
Katie O'Neill Candidate Connection
 
56.0
 
10,897
Chris Callender
 
44.0
 
8,562

Total votes: 19,459
Candidate Connection = 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 Ohio State Senate District 18

Incumbent Jerry Cirino advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 18 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jerry Cirino
Jerry Cirino
 
100.0
 
25,964

Total votes: 25,964
Candidate Connection = 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.

2020

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Ohio State Senate District 18

Jerry Cirino defeated Betsy Rader in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 18 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jerry Cirino
Jerry Cirino (R)
 
60.5
 
115,754
Image of Betsy Rader
Betsy Rader (D) Candidate Connection
 
39.5
 
75,535

Total votes: 191,289
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 18

Betsy Rader advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 18 on April 28, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Betsy Rader
Betsy Rader Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
23,183

Total votes: 23,183
Candidate Connection = 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 Ohio State Senate District 18

Jerry Cirino advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 18 on April 28, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jerry Cirino
Jerry Cirino
 
100.0
 
23,690

Total votes: 23,690
Candidate Connection = 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.

2016

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Ohio State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015.

Incumbent John Eklund defeated Wiley Runnestrand in the Ohio State Senate District 18 general election.[40]

Ohio State Senate, District 18 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png John Eklund Incumbent 65.27% 107,972
     Democratic Wiley Runnestrand 34.73% 57,446
Total Votes 165,418
Source: Ohio Secretary of State


Wiley Runnestrand ran unopposed in the Ohio State Senate District 18 Democratic primary.[41][42]

Ohio State Senate District 18, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Wiley Runnestrand  (unopposed) 100.00% 22,509
Total Votes 22,509


Incumbent John Eklund ran unopposed in the Ohio State Senate District 18 Republican primary.[41][42]

Ohio State Senate District 18, Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png John Eklund Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 45,822
Total Votes 45,822


2012

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 6, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 7, 2011. Incumbent John Eklund (R) defeated Jim Mueller (D) in the general election. Both candidates were unopposed in the March 6 primary elections.[43][44]

Ohio State Senate, District 18, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Eklund Incumbent 54.7% 90,962
     Democratic Jim Mueller 45.3% 75,354
Total Votes 166,316

Campaign contributions

From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Ohio State Senate District 18 raised a total of $7,875,912. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $463,289 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money

Campaign contributions, Ohio State Senate District 18
Year Amount Candidates Average
2024 $2,773,638 3 $924,546
2020 $1,701,962 2 $850,981
2016 $839,447 2 $419,724
2012 $1,534,434 2 $767,217
2008 $153,488 2 $76,744
2004 $650,147 4 $162,537
2000 $222,796 2 $111,398
Total $7,875,912 17 $463,289


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. termlimits.org, "List of state legislative term limits," accessed December 18, 2013
  2. Ohio Constitution, "Article 2, Section 02," accessed November 1, 2021
  3. [https://www.lsc.ohio.gov/documents/reference/current/guidebook/17/Guidebook.pdf Ohio.gov, "A Guidebook for Ohio Legislators," accessed November 1, 2021]
  4. Ohio Constitution, "Article II, Section 3: Residence requirements for state legislators," accessed May 23, 2025
  5. Ohio Constitution, "Article XV, Section 4: Officers to be qualified electors," accessed May 23, 2025
  6. Ohio Constitution, "Article II, Section 5: Who shall not hold office," accessed May 23, 2025
  7. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  8. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Chart of states with term limits," accessed February 16, 2021
  9. Ohio Constitution, "Article II, Section 11: Filling vacancy in house or senate seat," accessed February 2, 2023
  10. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
  11. Cleveland.com, "Ohio is about to hold elections for unconstitutional congressional and legislative districts. Here’s how it happened," October 9, 2022
  12. Ohio Capital Journal, "Ohio Redistricting Commission adopts sixth version of Statehouse maps with bipartisan support," September 27, 2023
  13. WCBE, "Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approves 6th version of House and Senate maps," September 27, 2023
  14. WFMJ, "Newly enacted district maps challenged by voting rights groups," October 5, 2023
  15. AP, "Ohio Supreme Court dismisses 3 long-running redistricting lawsuits against state legislative maps," November 28, 2023
  16. Ohio Capital Journal, "Ohio Supreme Court dismisses redistricting challenge, leaving Statehouse maps in place," November 28, 2023
  17. Supreme Court of Ohio, "League of Women Voters v. Ohio Redistricting Commission," accessed September 11, 2024
  18. 18.0 18.1 News 5 Cleveland, "Trump-appointed federal court judges end Ohio's redistricting battle, side with GOP," May 30, 2022
  19. 19.0 19.1 Cleveland.com, "Ohio Redistricting Commission approves new state legislative maps that maintain Republican supermajority despite anti-gerrymandering reforms," September 16, 2021
  20. Ohio Legislative Budget Office, "Redistricting in Ohio: Members Brief," April 19, 2024
  21. Court News Ohio, "New Ohio Legislative District Maps Unconstitutional," January 12, 2022
  22. Court News Ohio, "Revised Ohio House and Senate Maps Still Unconstitutional and Must Be Re-Drawn," February 7, 2022
  23. Ohio Supreme Court, "League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Ohio Redistricting Comm." February 7, 2022
  24. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cap217
  25. Cleveland.com, "Ohio Redistricting Commission approves state legislative map plan, again," February 25, 2022
  26. Court News Ohio, "Third Attempt at State House and Senate Maps Unconstitutional," March 16, 2022
  27. Tribune Chronicle, "Tue. 11:38 a.m.: Ohio mapmakers to meet on 4th set of statehouse districts," March 22, 2022
  28. WOSU, "Ohio Redistricting Commission will bring in two consultants to develop new Statehouse maps," March 22, 2022
  29. Cleveland.com, "Republicans on Ohio Redistricting Commission approve slightly revised version of rejected map, abandon bipartisan plan," March 28, 2022
  30. Cleveland.com, "Ohio Supreme Court again orders redistricting commission members to explain why they shouldn’t be held in contempt," March 30, 2022
  31. Statehouse News Bureau, "Ohio Supreme Court rejects fourth set of state legislative district maps," April 14, 2022
  32. Spectrum News 1, "Federal court decides to not interfere with legislative map redistricting, yet," April 20, 2022
  33. Ohio Capital Journal, "Ohio Redistricting Commission resubmits maps already rejected as illegal by supreme court," May 5, 2022
  34. Oxford Observer, "Redistricting Commission adopts maps previously rejected by Ohio Supreme Court," May 6, 2022
  35. KSTP, "Ohio’s high court rejects latest GOP-drawn Statehouse maps," May 25, 2022
  36. Ohio Capital Journal, "Federal court implements Statehouse maps twice declared unconstitutional by Ohio Supreme Court," May 27, 2022
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 Ohio Secretary of State, "House Joint Resolution Number 12," accessed April 21, 2015
  38. 38.0 38.1 38.2 Ohio Legislative Service Commission, "HJR 12 Final Analysis ," accessed April 21, 2015
  39. All About Redistricting, "Ohio," accessed May 8, 2015
  40. Ohio Secretary of State, "Official election results," accessed December 21, 2016
  41. 41.0 41.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed February 8, 2016
  42. 42.0 42.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "2016 Official Elections Results," accessed August 29, 2016
  43. Ohio Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Senate General Election Results,” accessed October 25, 2013
  44. Ohio Chamber of Commerce, "2012 General Assembly Primary Candidates," January 17, 2012


Current members of the Ohio State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Robert McColley
Minority Leader:Nickie Antonio
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
Al Landis (R)
District 32
District 33
Republican Party (24)
Democratic Party (9)