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Republican Party primaries in Ohio, 2018

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Republican Party primaries, 2018
Ohio Republican Party.png
Primary Date
May 8, 2018
Federal elections
Republican primary for U.S. Senate
Republican primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Republican primaries for Ohio legislature
Republican primary for governor
Republican primary for lieutenant governor
Republican primary for attorney general
Republican primary for secretary of state
State party
Republican Party of Ohio
State political party revenue

Almost two years after Ohio helped deliver the presidency to Donald Trump, the state’s Republican Party was divided among members who supported his agenda and those who kept their distance.

The debate over Trump played out in the state's May 8 Republican primaries.

One key primary was in the 16th Congressional District, where pro-Trump state Rep. Christina Hagan was defeated by former Ohio State football player Anthony Gonzalez to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R), who was running for the U.S. Senate.

While Hagan aligned herself with pro-Trump figures like Anthony Scaramucci and House Freedom Caucus leaders, Gonzalez attracted traditional Republican donors and was backed by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Gonzalez won the contest.

Another congressional primary featuring intra-party divisions was the special primary election to replace Pat Tiberi (R) in Ohio's 12th Congressional District. State Sen. Troy Balderson, who was backed by Tiberi and the group Defending Main Street, defeated businesswoman Melanie Leneghan, who was backed by the Freedom Caucus.

The state House primaries also revealed divisions as two state House speaker candidates, state Reps. Ryan Smith and Larry Householder, backed opposing primary candidates. Householder candidates won about half of the 29 contested Republican primaries; Smith candidates won just a handful.

In their race for speaker, Smith had the backing of the recently departed House Speaker, Cliff Rosenberger (R), while Householder, a former speaker himself, had the backing of pro-Trump donors such as restaurateur Tony George, labor unions, and FirstEnergy Corp. A new front in the race opened in April when Rosenberger resigned following reports that the FBI was investigating his connections to lobbyists. A temporary replacement for him was elected May 15.

Other important primaries included the gubernatorial election to replace term-limited John Kasich, one of Trump’s most vocal Republican opponents, and the U.S. Senate primary to challenge incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) in November.

The gubernatorial primary featured a matchup between Lieutenant Gov. Mary Taylor, who was backed by Kasich and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Attorney General Mike DeWine, who was endorsed by the state party and most Republican members of the state House. DeWine defeated Taylor.

Jim Renacci had been running for governor before opting to run for U.S. Senate instead, due partially to the withdrawal of State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) from the U.S. Senate race, and some prodding by the Trump administration. Renacci defeated businessman Mike Gibbons, who also aligned himself with Trump.

The filing deadline for candidates seeking to participate in these primaries was February 7, 2018.

National background

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[1][2]

Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[3] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[4][5][6] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[7]


Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Ohio (May 8, 2018 Republican primary)

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Ohio (May 8, 2018 Republican primaries)

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

District 1

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 2

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 3

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 4

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 5

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 6

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 7

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 8

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 9

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 10

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 11

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 12

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 13

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 14

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 15

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 16

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Nine of 88 Ohio counties—10.2 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Ashtabula County, Ohio 18.80% 12.78% 13.54%
Erie County, Ohio 9.48% 12.29% 13.86%
Montgomery County, Ohio 0.73% 4.62% 6.22%
Ottawa County, Ohio 19.51% 4.30% 6.24%
Portage County, Ohio 9.87% 5.52% 8.99%
Sandusky County, Ohio 22.58% 2.71% 4.64%
Stark County, Ohio 17.17% 0.47% 5.46%
Trumbull County, Ohio 6.22% 23.00% 22.43%
Wood County, Ohio 7.99% 4.84% 7.13%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Ohio with 51.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Ohio cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 93.3 percent of the time (28 out of 30 elections), more than any other state in the country. In that same time frame, Ohio supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 60 to 40 percent. Between 2000 and 2016, Ohio voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Ohio. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[8][9]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 35.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 33 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 34 points. Clinton won seven districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 60 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 17.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

State elections

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

Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election

See also: Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 8 Republican primary)

Attorney general election

See also: Ohio Attorney General election, 2018 (May 8 Republican primary)

Secretary of state election

See also: Ohio Secretary of State election, 2018 (May 8 Republican primary)

State legislative elections

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Ohio state legislative Republican primary elections.

The battleground races we identified mostly involved conflict between Householder- and Smith-backed candidates. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "many, if not all, of the...House GOP primary races this year have become proxy battles in the war for the House speaker's gavel in 2019."[10]

Householder-aligned candidates won 14 primaries and Smith-aligned candidates won three. The race in District 98 was too close to call.


Overview of Householder vs. Smith races

This chart contains all races where a Householder- or Smith-aligned candidate was identified.

Factional alliances in the Ohio House of Representatives Republican primaries
District Candidate Householder or Smith Election result
District 6
Michael Canty Smith Lost
Jim Trakas Householder Won
District 16
State Rep. David Greenspan Smith Won
Monique Jonevieve Boyd Unknown Lost
District 19
Tim Barhorst Householder Won
Dave Ferguson Smith Lost
Chris Curry Unknown Lost
District 21
Stu Harris Householder Won
Doug Smith Unknown Lost
District 37
Mike Rasor Householder Won
Craig Shubert Unknown Lost
Dexter Vaughan Unknown Lost
District 43
Kenneth Henning Householder Lost
Jeffrey Todd Smith Unknown Won
District 47
State Rep. Derek Merrin Householder Won
Barbara Lang Unknown Lost
District 50
Josh Hagan Householder Lost
Reggie Stoltzfus Smith Won
District 51
Sara Carruthers Householder Won
State Rep. Wes Retherford Smith Lost
Greg Jolivette Unknown Lost
District 61
Jamie Callender Householder Won
John Plecnik Smith Lost
District 67
Kris Jordan Householder Won
Denise Martin Smith Lost
Brian Lorenz Unknown Lost
District 72
Larry Householder Householder Won
Kevin Black Unknown Lost
District 80
Jena Powell Householder Won
John O'Brien Smith Lost
J.D. Winteregg Unknown Lost
George Lovett Unknown Lost
District 81
State Rep. James Hoops Smith Won
Thomas Liebrecht Unknown Lost
District 83
Jon Cross Householder Won
Cheryl Buckland Smith Lost
District 84
Travis Faber Householder Lost
Aaron Heilers Unaffiliated[11] Lost
Susan Manchester Unknown Won
District 86
Tracy Richardson Householder Won
Robert Matthew Sammons Unknown Lost
District 90
Brian Baldridge Householder Won
Gina Collinsworth Smith Lost
Scottie Powell Unknown Lost
Justin Pizzulli Unknown Lost
District 91
Beth Ellis Smith Lost
Shane Wilkin Householder Won
District 98
Shane Gunnoe Smith Lost
Brett Hudson Hillyer Householder Won
Greg Ress Unknown Lost
Mark Behrendt Unknown Lost
Larry Hawthorne Unknown Lost

House battleground races

House District 6

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup between candidates supported by House speaker candidates Ryan Smith and Larry Householder. The matchup was between businessman Michael Canty (Smith-aligned) and former state Rep. Jim Trakas (Householder-aligned).[12]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 6

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jim Trakas
Jim Trakas Candidate Connection
 
57.0
 
6,070
Image of Michael Canty
Michael Canty
 
43.0
 
4,581

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,651
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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House District 16

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup involving a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Ryan Smith. The matchup was between incumbent state Rep. David Greenspan (Smith aligned) and Monique Jonevieve Boyd. Restaurateur Tony George, who aligned with Larry Householder, previously said that he was recruiting a candidate for the race.[12]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 16

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dave Greenspan
Dave Greenspan
 
88.4
 
8,187
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Monique Jonevieve Boyd
 
11.6
 
1,076

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 9,263
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.

House District 19

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup between candidates supported by House speaker candidates Ryan Smith and Larry Householder. The matchup was between incumbent Tim Barhorst (Householder-aligned) and Dave Ferguson (Smith-aligned). Chris Curry also filed to run.[13]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 19

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tim Barhorst
Tim Barhorst
 
53.3
 
4,893
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Dave Ferguson
 
39.5
 
3,621
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Chris Curry
 
7.2
 
660

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 9,174
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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House District 21

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Larry Householder. Stu Harris received campaign donations from the pro-Householder FirstEnergy PAC.[14] Doug Smith also filed to run and had an unknown factional alliance.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 21

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Stu Harris
Stu Harris
 
70.9
 
5,164
Image of Doug Smith
Doug Smith
 
29.1
 
2,123

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 7,287
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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House District 37

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Larry Householder. Mike Rasor received campaign donations from the pro-Householder FirstEnergy PAC.[14] Craig Shubert and Dexter Vaughan also filed to run and had unknown factional alliances.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 37

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Rasor
Mike Rasor
 
67.1
 
5,915
Image of Craig Shubert
Craig Shubert
 
16.8
 
1,485
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Dexter Vaughan
 
16.1
 
1,417

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 8,817
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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House District 42

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a competitive matchup, although it did not identify it as part of the Householder vs. Smith proxy fight. It featured a matchup between state Rep. Niraj Antani, Miamisburg Vice-Mayor Sarah Clark, and Marcus Rech.[13]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 42

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Niraj Antani
Niraj Antani
 
63.0
 
6,843
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Sarah Clark
 
28.0
 
3,034
Image of Marcus Rech
Marcus Rech
 
9.0
 
978

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,855
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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House District 43

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Larry Householder. It featured a matchup between Kenneth Henning (Householder-aligned) and Jeffrey Todd Smith (unknown affiliation).[15]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 43

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jeffrey Todd Smith
Jeffrey Todd Smith
 
52.8
 
4,065
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Kenneth Henning
 
47.2
 
3,636

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 7,701
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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House District 47

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Larry Householder. State Rep. Derek Merrin received campaign donations from Householder.[16] Barbara Lang also filed to run and had an unknown factional alliance.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 47

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Derek Merrin
Derek Merrin
 
64.6
 
5,431
Image of Barbara Lang
Barbara Lang
 
35.4
 
2,981

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 8,412
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 50

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with candidates supported by House speaker candidates Larry Householder and Ryan Smith. It featured a matchup between Josh Hagan (Householder-aligned), the brother of incumbent Christina Hagan and a recipient of campaign donations from the pro-Householder FirstEnergy PAC, and Reggie Stoltzfus (Smith-aligned), who held a fundraiser that featured Speaker Rosenberger. Christina Hagan did not seek re-election and instead filed to run for Ohio's 16th Congressional District.[13][14]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 50

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Reggie Stoltzfus
Reggie Stoltzfus
 
60.8
 
6,736
Image of Josh Hagan
Josh Hagan
 
39.2
 
4,352

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 11,088
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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

House District 51

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a competitive matchup.[13] Cincinatti.com identified it as part of the Householder vs. Smith primary battle.[17] Incumbent Wes Retherford (pro-Smith) faced primary challenges from Sara Carruthers (pro-Householder) and Greg Jolivette.

The Butler County Republican Party endorsed Carruthers over Retherford. The party also declined to endorse him in 2012 when he challenged an incumbent for the seat. Retherford received a DUI in March 2017 and the Butler County GOP chairman said this factored into the endorsement decision. Retherford said, "The county party lost every contested endorsed race they had last time around (in 2016), and I think if anything that Donald Trump’s election should be a clue that the voters are going to have their way and they’re not playing party politics anymore.”[18]

The Ohio Republican Party endorsed Retherford in the race. “I’m honored that Speaker (Cliff) Rosenberger supports my re-election bid and added my name to the list of House Members to be endorsed by the ORP,” said Retherford.[19]

Carruthers launched a $104,000 TV ad campaign on April 2.[20]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 51

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sara Carruthers
Sara Carruthers
 
46.5
 
3,189
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Wes Retherford
 
31.9
 
2,188
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Greg Jolivette
 
21.6
 
1,482

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 6,859
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.

House District 61

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup between candidates supported by House speaker candidates Ryan Smith and Larry Householder. The matchup was between former state Rep. Jamie Callender (Householder-aligned) and John Plecnik (Smith-aligned).[12]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 61

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jamie Callender
Jamie Callender
 
56.3
 
6,079
Image of John Plecnik
John Plecnik
 
43.7
 
4,723

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,802
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.

House District 64

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Democrat incumbent filed for re-election

What made this a battleground race?

The matchup was between Randy Law and Martha Yoder to face Democratic incumbent Michael O'Brien. A major difference between the candidates was the future of the state's Medicaid expansion program. Yoder said she would vote to eliminate the expansion; Law said he would put cost controls on the expansion but not eliminate it.[21]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 64

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Martha Yoder
Martha Yoder
 
58.2
 
3,410
Image of Randy Law
Randy Law
 
41.8
 
2,453

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 5,863
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.

House District 65

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Erin Neace challenged state Rep. John Becker. Neace was targeted by negative mailers from the Growth & Opportunity PAC, which ran negative ads against pro-Smith candidates.[22] Becker said he was not associated with the group and did not know why it was opposing Neace.[17]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 65

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of John Becker
John Becker
 
70.8
 
7,464
Image of Erin Neace
Erin Neace
 
29.2
 
3,079

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,543
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.

House District 67

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

3rd Rail Politics identified this race as a matchup between candidates supported by House speaker candidates Ryan Smith and Larry Householder. The matchup was between term-limited state Sen. Kris Jordan (Householder-aligned) and Denise Martin (Smith-aligned).[23] Brian Lorenz also filed to run.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 67

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kris Jordan
Kris Jordan
 
40.2
 
5,029
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Denise Martin
 
30.3
 
3,797
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Brian Lorenz
 
29.5
 
3,692

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 12,518
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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House District 72

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

This was a matchup between Larry Householder and Kevin Smith.

As of May 3, nearly $1 million had been spent in the primary, making it the most expensive primary in 2018. Householder and two aligned political action committees, the Hardworking Americans Committee and the Growth and Principles PAC, had spent about $785,000 on television and radio ads. The anti-Householder Honor and Principles PAC had spent about $170,000 opposing him. Black was not involved in the satellite spending.[24] Click here to read more about satellite spending on behalf of Black by anti-Householder groups.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 72

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Larry Householder
Larry Householder
 
63.4
 
7,590
Image of Kevin Black
Kevin Black
 
36.6
 
4,385

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 11,975
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 73

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Incumbent Rick Perales faced a challenge from Jocelyn Smith, who accused him of assaulting and forcibly kissing her in January 2015. Perales denied that he assaulted Smith, but he said he had engaged in what he called an "inappopriate" relationship with her through phone calls and text messages. Read more about the allegations on our page on sexual misconduct in state capitols.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 73

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Rick Perales
Rick Perales
 
80.4
 
8,350
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Jocelyn Smith
 
19.6
 
2,037

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,387
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 80

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

No

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with candidate supported by House speaker candidates Larry Householder and Ryan Smith. Jena Powell received campaign donations from the pro-Householder FirstEnergy PAC.[14] John O'Brien received support from the pro-Smith OHROC.[25] J.D. Winteregg and George Lovett also filed to run.

As of May 4, $220,000 had been spent in the race. More than $100,000 of the total was spent by George Lovett, who largely self-funded his campaign.[26]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 80

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jena Powell
Jena Powell
 
49.5
 
7,264
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
John O'Brien
 
21.0
 
3,075
Image of J.D. Winteregg
J.D. Winteregg
 
18.8
 
2,762
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
George Lovett
 
10.7
 
1,566

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 14,667
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 81

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup involving a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Ryan Smith. The matchup was between incumbent state Rep. James Hoop (Smith aligned) and Thomas Liebrecht.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 81

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of James Hoops
James Hoops
 
65.6
 
7,273
Image of Thomas Liebrecht
Thomas Liebrecht
 
34.4
 
3,813

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 11,086
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 83

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

No

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidates Larry Householder and Ryan Smith. It featured a matchup between Cheryl Buckland (Smith-aligned), a nurse and Republican activist, and Jon Cross (Householder-aligned), the president of the Hardin County Chamber who received campaign donations from the pro-Householder First Energy PAC.[13][14][15]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 83

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jon Cross
Jon Cross
 
58.7
 
7,499
Image of Cheryl Buckland
Cheryl Buckland
 
41.3
 
5,282

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 12,781
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 84

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

No

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidates Larry Householder and Ryan Smith. It featured a matchup between Travis Faber (Householder-aligned), the nephew of incumbent Keith Faber and recipient of campaign donations from the pro-Householder First Energy PAC, Susan Manchester, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Oh.), and farmer Aaron Heilers (Unaffiliated).[11][14][13]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 84

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Susan Manchester
Susan Manchester
 
36.7
 
5,446
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Travis Faber
 
32.0
 
4,747
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Aaron Heilers
 
31.3
 
4,650

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 14,843
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 86

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

No

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup with a candidate supported by House speaker candidate Larry Householder. Tracy Richardson received campaign donations from the pro-Householder FirstEnergy PAC.[14] Robert Matthew Sammons also filed to run and had an unknown factional alliance.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 86

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tracy Richardson
Tracy Richardson Candidate Connection
 
71.8
 
6,627
Image of Robert Matthew Sammons
Robert Matthew Sammons
 
28.2
 
2,608

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 9,235
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 90

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup between candidates supported by House speaker candidates Ryan Smith and Larry Householder. The matchup was between Brian Baldridge (Householder-aligned) and Gina Collinsworth (Smith-aligned). Justin Pizzulli and Scottie Powell also filed to run.[13]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 90

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Brian Baldridge
Brian Baldridge
 
39.6
 
3,477
Image of Gina Collinsworth
Gina Collinsworth
 
31.5
 
2,768
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Justin Pizzulli
 
19.2
 
1,688
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Scottie Powell
 
9.7
 
848

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 8,781
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 91

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup involving a candidate supported by former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, an ally of Ryan Smith. The matchup was between Beth Ellis (Smith/Rosenberger-aligned) and Shane Wilkin (Householder-aligned).[13]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 91

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Shane Wilkin
Shane Wilkin
 
56.8
 
6,200
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Beth Ellis
 
43.2
 
4,717

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 10,917
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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House District 98

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Term-limited

What made this a battleground race?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer identified this race as a matchup involving candidates supported by Ryan Smith and Larry Householder. The major matchup was between Shane Gunnoe (Smith-aligned), Brett Hudson Hillyer (Householder-aligned), and Greg Ress. The other candidates who filed were Mark Behrendt and Larry Hawthorne.[13][27]

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 98

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Brett Hudson Hillyer
Brett Hudson Hillyer
 
31.7
 
2,510
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Shane Gunnoe
 
31.5
 
2,498
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Greg Ress
 
25.4
 
2,016
Image of Larry Hawthorne
Larry Hawthorne
 
7.2
 
573
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Mark Behrendt
 
4.1
 
327

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 7,924
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Ohio

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016


Primary election scheduling

Ohio was one of four states to hold a primary election on May 8, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

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 law provides for closed primaries, meaning a voter to be affiliated with a party to vote in that party's primary. However a voter of any affiliation can choose the ballot they would like to vote on the day of the primary and their choice may be regarded as registration with that party.[28][29]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Ohio, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Voters who are in line at 7:30 p.m. are permitted to vote.[30]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Ohio, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Individuals who are incarcerated for a felony conviction, have been declared by a court to be incompetent for voting purposes, or have been permanently disenfranchised may not register to vote.[31]

Applicants may register to vote online, in person, or by mail. The Ohio Voter Registration and Information Update Form is available online and can be requested by mail. In-person voter registration is available at various locations including the secretary of state and board of elections offices, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries and high schools, and other state agencies. A full list of locations is available here.

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the next election. An Ohio driver’s license number, state ID card number, or the last four digits of a SSN is required in order to register to vote or update a voter registration.[32][33]

Automatic registration

Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration.[34]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Ohio has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Ohio does not allow same-day voter registration.[34]

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election.[34]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Ohio requires those registering to vote or updating their voter registration information at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed to do so.[35] Individuals registering to vote in other settings do not have to provide proof of citizenship but must attest to their citizenship in a sworn statement.[36]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[37] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Ohio requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[38]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Ohio Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“
  • Ohio driver's license;
  • State of Ohio ID card;
  • Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
  • A US passport;
  • A US passport card;
  • US military ID card;
  • Ohio National Guard ID card; or
  • US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have the following:

  • An expiration date that has not passed;
  • A photograph of the voter;
  • The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book

An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.[39]

”

Ohio voters can obtain a free state ID card from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.[40]

Early voting

Ohio permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Ohio. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[41]

Absentee ballots may be requested for each individual election beginning on January 1, or 90 days before the date of an election, whichever is earlier. The request must be received by the local county board of elections by the close of business on the seventh day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be postmarked at least one day before Election Day and received by the elections board no later than 4 days after the election.[41][42]


State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Ohio heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

Trifecta status

2018 elections

See also: Ohio elections, 2018

Ohio held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Ohio
 OhioU.S.
Total population:11,605,090316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):40,8613,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:82.4%73.6%
Black/African American:12.2%12.6%
Asian:1.9%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:3.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:89.1%86.7%
College graduation rate:26.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,429$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.6%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Ohio.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Ohio had a population of 11,700,000 people, with its three largest cities being Columbus (pop. est. 860,000), Cleveland (pop. est. 390,000), and Cincinnati (pop. est. 300,000).[43][44]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Ohio from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Ohio Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Ohio every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Ohio 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 52.1% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 43.5% 8.6%
2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 50.7% Republican Party Mitt Romney 47.7% 3.0%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 51.5% Republican Party John McCain 46.9% 4.6%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 50.8% Democratic Party John Kerry 48.7% 2.1%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 50.0% Democratic Party Al Gore 46.5% 3.5%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Ohio from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Ohio 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Rob Portman 58.0% Democratic Party Ted Strickland 37.2% 20.8%
2012 Democratic Party Sherrod Brown 50.7% Republican Party Josh Mandel 44.7% 6.0%
2010 Republican Party Rob Portman 56.8% Democratic Party Lee Fisher 39.4% 17.4%
2006 Democratic Party Sherrod Brown 56.2% Republican Party Mike DeWine 43.8% 12.4%
2004 Republican Party George Voinovich 63.9% Democratic Party Eric Fingerhut 36.1% 27.8%
2000 Republican Party Mike DeWine 59.9% Democratic Party Ted Celeste 35.9% 24.0%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Ohio.

Election results (Governor), Ohio 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Republican Party John Kasich 63.6% Democratic Party Ed Fitzgerald 33.0% 30.6%
2010 Republican Party John Kasich 49.0% Democratic Party Ted Strickland 47.0% 2.0%
2006 Democratic Party Ted Strickland 60.5% Republican Party Ken Blackwell 36.6% 23.9%
2002 Republican Party Robert Taft 57.8% Democratic Party Tim Hagan 38.3% 19.5%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Ohio in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Ohio 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 12 75.0% Democratic Party 4 25.0% R+8
2014 Republican Party 12 75.0% Democratic Party 4 25.0% R+8
2012 Republican Party 12 75.0% Democratic Party 4 25.0% R+8
2010 Republican Party 13 72.2% Democratic Party 5 27.8% R+8
2008 Republican Party 8 44.4% Democratic Party 10 55.6% D+2
2006 Republican Party 11 61.1% Democratic Party 7 38.9% R+4
2004 Republican Party 12 66.7% Democratic Party 6 33.3% R+6
2002 Republican Party 12 66.7% Democratic Party 6 33.3% R+6
2000 Republican Party 11 57.9% Democratic Party 8 42.1% R+3

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

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


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Nine of 88 Ohio counties—10.2 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Ashtabula County, Ohio 18.80% 12.78% 13.54%
Erie County, Ohio 9.48% 12.29% 13.86%
Montgomery County, Ohio 0.73% 4.62% 6.22%
Ottawa County, Ohio 19.51% 4.30% 6.24%
Portage County, Ohio 9.87% 5.52% 8.99%
Sandusky County, Ohio 22.58% 2.71% 4.64%
Stark County, Ohio 17.17% 0.47% 5.46%
Trumbull County, Ohio 6.22% 23.00% 22.43%
Wood County, Ohio 7.99% 4.84% 7.13%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Ohio with 51.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Ohio cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 93.3 percent of the time (28 out of 30 elections), more than any other state in the country. In that same time frame, Ohio supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 60 to 40 percent. Between 2000 and 2016, Ohio voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Ohio. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[45][46]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 35.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 33 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 34 points. Clinton won seven districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 60 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 17.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

See also

Federal primaries in Ohio State primaries in Ohio Ohio state party apparatus Ohio voter information
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Flag of Ohio.png
Seal of Ohio.png
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Footnotes

  1. ↑ ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
  2. ↑ The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
  3. ↑ Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
  4. ↑ Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
  5. ↑ Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
  6. ↑ Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
  7. ↑ USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
  8. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  9. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  10. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Top 10 Ohio House Republican primary races to watch in 2018," March 26, 2018
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Heilers was originally listed as a pro-Smith candidate due to his inclusion on a list of Smith allies from Cleveland Plain-Dealer reporter Jeremy Pelzer. He contacted Ballotpedia after the primary and said he was not affiliated with either Smith or Householder.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CLEVE
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Top 10 Ohio House Republican primary races to watch in 2018," March 26, 2018
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 Cleveland Plain Dealer, "FirstEnergy PAC writes big checks to House speaker hopeful Larry Householder, campaign allies," April 20, 2018
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Twitter, "Jeremy Pelzer on May 8, 2018
  16. ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer, "State campaign finance filings shed light on heated Ohio House leadership battle," April 26, 2018
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Cincinatti.com, "Tanning salons, ghost candidates and party switchers: Nine local primaries to watch next week," April 30, 2018
  18. ↑ Journal News, "Incumbent not endorsed by Butler County Republican Party," January 25, 2018
  19. ↑ Journal-News, "Incumbent Butler County state lawmakers get Ohio GOP endorsement," February 10, 2018
  20. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Capitol Letter," April 4, 2018
  21. ↑ The Columbus Vindicator, "Nominate Randy Law in Republican race for 64th House District," April 25, 2018
  22. ↑ Cleveland Plain-Dealer, "Capitol Letter," April 17, 2018
  23. ↑ 3rd Rail Politics, "State Senator Kris Jordan Way Ahead in Polls," January 23, 2018
  24. ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer, "A $1 million ad war is being waged in Rep. Larry Householder's primary race," April 13, 2018
  25. ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer, "State campaign finance filings shed light on heated Ohio House leadership battle," April 26, 2018
  26. ↑ Dayton Daily News, "Miami-Darke County statehouse race most expensive in region," May 4, 2018
  27. ↑ Email communication with Ballotpedia
  28. ↑ Ohio Laws and Administrative Codes, "Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.19," accessed September 5, 2025
  29. ↑ Ohio Laws and Administrative Codes, "Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.05," accessed September 5, 2025
  30. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Election Day Voting,” accessed April 12, 2023
  31. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Voter Eligibility & Residency Requirements,” accessed April 12, 2023
  32. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Register to Vote and Update Your Registration,” accessed April 6, 2023
  33. ↑ Democracy Docket, “Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law,” January 6, 2023
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 7, 2024
  35. ↑ BillTrack50, "Ohio HB54," accessed September 30, 2025
  36. ↑ Columbus Dispatch, "Advocates sue Ohio over law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote at BMV," August 26, 2025
  37. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  38. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Identification requirements," accessed October 8, 2025
  39. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  40. ↑ Ohio BMV, "Securing an Ohio ID," accessed October 8, 2025
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Voting Absentee by Mail," accessed April 6, 2023
  42. ↑ Democracy Docket, "Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law," January 6, 2023
  43. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts - Ohio," accessed April 4, 2018
  44. ↑ Ohio Demographics, "Ohio Cities by Population," accessed April 4, 2018
  45. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  46. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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Party primaries by state, 2018
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Democratic primaries, 2018
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