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Home , Adam Miller (politician), Allison Russo, Andrew Brenner, Beth Liston, Bill Beagle, Bill Dean (politician)

Vol. 132 - No. 466 Tuesday, November 6, 2018

In Victory Speech, DeWine Calls for Ohioans to Unite to Solve Problems

The people of need to work together to address state's issues regardless of party affiliation, Gov.-elect Mike DeWine said following his victory over Democrat Richard Cordray Tuesday night.

"As we begin this journey tonight, we must work not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Ohioans," DeWine told supporters at the 's election night party in Columbus. "Ohioans should unite around a shared mission to ensure that every single person in this state - every child, no matter where they're born, no matter who their parents are, no matter what their circumstances -- has the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential. ...

"As governor, it will be my responsibility, and a responsibility that I take very seriously, to pull people together -- Democrats, Republicans and Independents -- for our common cause, because Ohio's challenges ... are not solvable just by one party," DeWine continued. "Our fundamental beliefs and core values as Ohioans, what we share together truly transcends party politics."

DeWine, the current attorney general, ended up winning the governor's race with 50.66 percent of the vote, beating Cordray's 46.44 percent, according to unofficial results. Libertarian Party candidate Travis Irvine finished with 1.79 percent, while Green Party candidate Constance Gadell-Newton received 1.1 percent.

DeWine said his next administration will work to improve the state's schools, address drug addiction and create jobs.

"Come with us as we make Ohio's schools the best in the nation. Come with us as we help Ohio's sons and daughters who suffer from the disease of addiction and whose purpose in life has been interrupted by opioids, alcohol and other drugs. Come with us as we double down on the Mexican drug cartels that are wreaking havoc in the state of Ohio. Come with us as we put more Ohioans to work, and make this state the biggest jobs generator in America, and truly make Ohio the state of opportunity," DeWine said.

DeWine praised running mate , saying the lieutenant governor-elect will play an "absolutely major role" in the administration.

"When Jon and I and Tina and Fran got together for breakfast a number of months ago, it led to this day. We put our teams together. We put our passions together. We knew we were going to have a very difficult race. But I can tell you this, as someone who has served as lieutenant governor of this state, that in Jon Husted we have the most qualified person we could have," DeWine said.

DeWine said he received a "very gracious" concession call from Cordray.

"He fought a tough race ... about as tough as I want. I salute him for that. I wish him and his wife Peggy all the best. He is a talented person who I know in the future will continue to serve and continue to give back to the people of the state of Ohio," DeWine said.

Cordray spent most of his concession speech thanking the volunteers and campaign staff workers, calling them "the nerds we need in Ohio."

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He said the race was never personal for him, and said DeWine has always been a dedicated public servant, adding that he hopes DeWine will be a dedicated servant for all Ohioans.

Cordray said he believes the work of his campaign has changed the conversation "in ways that improve lives" and will help elevate the conversation "in a way that will help all of us."

"While outspent, we proved that no amount of money can silence our voice," he told supporters.

Cordray running mate said that despite the outcome, she will never stop fighting for issues that matter to her, and she knows their supporters will not stop fighting either.

Sherrod Brown Wins Third Term; No Ohio Congressional Seats Flip

U.S. Sen. won a third term to the U.S. Senate by nearly 6 percentage points over U.S. Rep. , a closer margin than many polls had predicted but a large enough victory to be one of the early winners of the night.

Brown took the stage at the celebration in Columbus, telling the crowd that showing the dignity of work like his race did is the model for how Democrats win in the Midwest and in 2020.

"When you love this country, you fight for the people who make it work," Brown told the crowd. "The hard-working men and women of Ohio voted to continue our fight together for six more years."

Brown said his race shows that progressives "can win, and win decisively in the heartland."

"Tonight, Ohio, you showed the country that by putting people first and by honoring the dignity of work, we can carry a state won by nearly 10 points," Brown said. "And you showed that we do it without compromising on women's rights or civil rights or LGBTQ rights. We do it without caving to Wall Street or the drug companies or the gun lobby."

He said progressives celebrate the dignity of work and as they celebrate, they should unify and not divide, and not "appeal to some by pushing others down" or lie and engage in hate speech.

"This is our America," Brown said. "We will never yield the hallowed ground of patriotism to the extremists -- at the Statehouse and in the White House."

In a statement on social media, Renacci thanked his supporters.

"Things may not have gone as we wanted tonight, but I hope that you will continue fighting for the things you believe in. I wish Sen. Brown the best in his efforts to support all Ohioans," he said.

Renacci also lobbed criticism in his concession speech at the "loudest voice in the state" that does not support President Trump. He went on to say he stands with the president and the party must pull together.

Meanwhile, all of Ohio's 16 U.S. House districts will stay in the same party's hands after Election Night.

U.S. Rep. (-Zanesville), who saw his August race decided during the tallying of provisional ballots, won' have to wait this time after getting nearly 52 percent of the vote to Democrat Danny 'Connor's 47 percent. In his concession speech, O'Connor wished Balderson well and said there needs to be a good faith effort toward unity.

The only other close race came in the 1st Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. (R-) won re- election with 52 percent over Democrat Aftab Pureval's 46 percent. Chabot has held the seat since 2011 and previously held

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it from 1995 through 2009. Chabot serves on the U.S. House foreign affairs, judiciary and small business committees. This was the first national contest for Pureval, the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts.

Democrats who raised large amounts of money in other districts, including Ken Harbaugh in the 7th Congressional District, Betsy Rader in the 14th, and Theresa Gasper in the 10th, came nowhere close to ousting the incumbent.

The congressional delegation will get a new face after former Ohio State University football standout and Republican Anthony Gonzales won Renacci's congressional seat with nearly 57 percent of the vote.

In other races:

- Incumbent U.S. Rep. (R-Ashland) defeated Democratic challenger Harbaugh 59 percent to 41 percent. Gibbs was first elected to Congress in 2010 after serving in both the Ohio House and as well as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. He sits on the House agriculture and transportation and infrastructure committees. Harbaugh, a U.S. Navy veteran, is the former president of international aid organization Team Rubicon Global.

- Incumbent U.S. Rep. (R-Dayton) beat Democratic challenger Gasper 56 percent to 42 percent. Turner, the former mayor of Dayton, has since served eight terms in the U.S. House. He sits of the U.S. House armed services and oversight and government reform committees. Gasper is a businesswoman, property-developer and president of Full Circle Development in Dayton. This was her first political campaign.

- Incumbent U.S. Rep. (R-Twinsburg) defeated Rader 55 percent to 45 percent. Joyce, formerly a prosecutor in Geauga County, will be entering his fourth term in Congress. He sits on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and the Republican Study Committee. Rader is an attorney who has worked with institutions like the Clinic and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). She previously served on the board of Cleveland Legal Aid.

- Incumbent U.S. Rep. (R-Hilliard) defeated Democrat Rick Neal 59 percent to 40 percent. Stivers, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee and a former Ohio senator, will be entering his fifth term in Congress. He sits on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. Neal is a former humanitarian worker who has worked with organizations like the Peace Corps and Refugees International.

Republicans Sweep Statewide Executive Offices

In addition to winning the governor's mansion, Republicans retained control of all other statewide executive offices on Tuesday night.

Auditor won the attorney general race 52.42 percent to 47.58 percent over Democrat Steve Dettelbach; Rep. (R-Celina) won with auditor race with 49.93 percent of the vote, beating Democrat 's 46.05 percent and Libertarian Robert Coogan's 4.02 percent; Sen. Frank LaRose (R-Copley) won the secretary of state race with 50.92 percent, beating Rep. Kathleen Clyde's (-Kent) 46.73 percent and Libertarian Dustin Nanna's 2.35 percent; and Rep. (R-Findlay) beat Democrat Rob Richardson 53.53 percent to 46.47 percent.

Yost began his victory speech by praising Dettelbach for his campaign, saying he's a "smart man and a good public servant."

"But tonight belonged to the Republicans," Yost said. "Let us remain true to our principles. Let us never waver from our duty. And let us govern with passion and compassion in the days ahead."

In a written statement, Yost added that he would protect all Ohioans and uphold the rule of law.

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"I will protect our kids, our communities, our environment and our most vulnerable. I will apply the law equally to everyone -- whether you're a CEO in a corner office dumping poison into our waterways, or a dealer on the street distributing poison in our communities," Yost said.

Faber thanked God for the win, saying he looks forward to working with all of the other statewide officeholders.

"This campaign began almost two years ago. And it began with the promise that we could make state government more efficient, effective, and transparent," Faber said. "Our campaign worked very hard for tonight's result and it's time we move forward to continue making Ohio the best place to live, work, and raise a family. As your next auditor of state, I will fight every day to make sure your government is working for you."

LaRose said as secretary of state, he will protect "free markets and fair elections," which are "among the most precious things we have."

"I will work on making sure Ohio is the best place in the nation to start and grow a business. I' be excited to work with all of you to make sure we continue to safeguard Ohio's elections, so we can have elections that are both secure and also fair and accessible to every eligible Ohioan," LaRose said.

Sprague thanked all of his campaign staff and all of the other candidates, saying he's excited to "make a difference" in the treasurer's office.

Releasing a statement following his defeat, Dettelbach congratulated Yost and said all Ohioans should support their elected leaders.

"Although things didn't pan out the way many of us would have hoped tonight, I want to note that there is no 'us versus them' in this outcome. There is only us. And it is up to all of us to continue to fight for the causes that propelled our campaign, particularly in making sure the law is used as a force to improve people's lives. That means we need to reach across party lines to do what's right. It means hearing each other out. And above all else, it means having each other's backs. Thank you for having mine over the course of this campaign," Dettelbach said.

Space congratulated Faber and wished him success in the auditor's office.

"What matters more than my candidacy, and more than this particular election, is the awakening of millions of Ohioans to the systemic problems with our democratic society. I couldn't be prouder of the sincerity of our message, or of our healthy engagement with people in every corner of Ohio. We left no community behind, and we never strayed from the values that we preached. I hope our efforts will serve as an example to all future candidates of what can be accomplished with the right mix of positive intention, humility, and resilience," Space said. "As we progress into the uncertain future, let us remember that while none alone bear responsibility to address the issues we face, neither are we free to desist from the process. We move forward in this spirit."

Clyde said she was saddened by the results, but she believes that her campaign was able to bring the critical issues of voting rights and gerrymandering to the people of Ohio. "Our campaign has made a difference."

Richardson released the following statement after conceding to Sprague: "Though we didn't see the outcome we wanted, I am so proud of the campaign we built over the past 15 months. We ran a strong, principled campaign based on issues that matter to Ohioans. We can hold our heads high knowing we did all we could and left it all on the field. I want to thank everyone who volunteered their time, contributed financially, or offered words of encouragement along the way. Our work is far from over and we still have a long road ahead of us. I promise to keep fighting the good fight until all Ohioans share in the prosperity and opportunity afforded by our great state."

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Opponents, Backers Say Reform Efforts to Continue as Issue 1 Fails

While proponents and opponents both touted the hard work of their campaigns and said work would go on, state Issue 1 failed early Tuesday night by a wide margin. The constitutional amendment sought to reform low-level drug sentencing, expand earned inmate credits and overhaul probation orders.

Proponents and opponents had offered differing views of what the constitutional amendment would lead to if passed, including at forums such as the Columbus Metropolitan Club's Oct. 17 discussion. (See The Hannah Report, 10/17/18.)

David Myhal, a leader of the opposition campaign, said it was a "grassroots victory" holding off attempts by out-of-state billionaires to introduce changes to the state constitution. It failed due to a swiftly-assembled bipartisan coalition of more than 35 organizations, he said, including law enforcement, judicial, business and treatment groups. Lou Tobin, executive director of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, also noted the work of faith communities in opposition to the amendment.

"One of the great things about working on this campaign was meeting all of the people out there that are in recovery that stood with us to defeat this, because they knew this wasn't the solution," Myhal said. "They knew this wasn't how they beat their addiction. ...The leadership in this coalition will be where the real solutions are found in this problem."

Despite being outspent by $10 million to $1 million in television advertisements, Myhal said he was confident the measure was defeated soundly shortly after 9 p.. as initial results showed more than 60 percent opposition. Tobin also told Hannah News their work on television ads in the last 10 days also played a strong role in educating voters who realized "all the problems with this."

"There is no question that the Legislature is going to do something in the near future, whether it's exactly what was in Issue 1 or it's something similar is yet to be determined," Tobin said, adding that the debate on it had "just started" and that would be the failed measure's legacy.

"I think you'll see people from the yes side [and] people from the no side both talking about some sort of reform," he said. He said his association would continue to look at proposals offered by prosecutors, including a joint one from Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein. (See The Hannah Report, 9/26/18.)

While opposition was a collective effort, Myhal told reporters it could not have happened without the leadership of Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor.

O'Connor also noted the work of many groups, particularly those providing addiction treatment who she said know best about what does and doesn't work. The judiciary and law enforcement have made progress in combatting the opioid epidemic, she said, and the "silver lining" of the issue was that it showed how the public needed to be made more aware of what has been accomplished through drug courts and other special dockets.

While she said it is "highly unusual" for members of the judiciary to speak on things that could be seen as political, she said addiction was not a partisan issue and that the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct not only permits but encourages them to speak on such matters.

Myhal also said that drug courts are the "greatest success stories" and are an area they can grow on to further combat the opioid epidemic. Asked if he expects further attempts like Issue 1, Myhal said he hoped the defeat sent a message that outside groups should stop "messing around in Ohio" and that solutions should be made by Ohioans.

Dennis Willard, leader of the campaign for Issue 1, said that despite the outcome their efforts would have lasting change and were "the beginning, not the end."

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"Our opponents may celebrate tonight, but tomorrow they will wake up with the same crisis on their hands, and not one step closer to real solutions," Willard said. "Families in Ohio will lose loved ones each and every day until we can implement real help for those struggling with addiction."

He, too, said his coalition would work with state leaders to advance reforms, and would "keep pushing and advocating and organizing until we win safer communities and more treatment."

On Monday, Ohio Judicial Conference Executive Director and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer sent a message to judges saying he was confident they would "see the power of your grassroots efforts," calling the amendment a "direct assault" on judges' daily work. Still, he said, there were positives that had come out of the issue, including making communities more aware of what judges do in regard to guiding people to treatment and recovery and the challenges people with a felony conviction face in finding meaningful employment and suitable housing.

"Guidance from the judiciary for sensible next steps will be expected by a new governor and the General Assembly. You know the arguments offered by those favoring Issue 1: many were just plain dishonest, misguided or wrong, but underneath it all is a cry for help from all the families dealing with drug addiction," he said.

The Ohio Christian Alliance also responded to the outcome, saying that the measure would have made conditions worse for those with drug addiction and that now they can proceed with "real common sense criminal sentencing reform for minor drug offenses" through a coalition of the General Assembly, law enforcement, judiciary and business and civic organizations. That would include expungement for some non-violent fourth and fifth degree felonies to provide a path to gainful employment.

Policy Matters Ohio said the result showed voters "chose to continue putting high numbers of Ohioans in prison, even when their worst offense is mere drug possession." Despite that, the organization said it would work with those who support the goals but not the mechanism of Issue 1 "to accomplish sentencing reform through legislative means."

Dems Net Four-Seat Pick Up in Ohio House; Senate GOP Flips One Seat, Another Too Close to Call

House Democrats picked up five seats on Tuesday evening and lost one, cutting the record 66-member Republican majority in the Ohio House down to 62 seats. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans picked up one seat in the upper chamber, but whether they add to their majority will come down to provisional and absentee ballots in a Franklin County district where Rep. Anne Gonzales leads by just 329 votes.

As expected, the Democratic gains came in the suburbs of major counties where outperformed President Donald Trump in 2016, including three in Franklin County. won the 19th District seat held currently by Gonzales; won the 21st District held by Rep. (R-Worthington); and won the 24th House District held by Rep. (R-Columbus). The two other pickups came in the 6th District in Cuyahoga County where Phil Robinson won the seat held currently by Rep. Marlene Anielski (R-Walton Hills) and the 37th House District, where won the seat currently held by Rep. (R-Hudson) who had defeated him just two years ago.

Attached to today's Hannah Report is the unofficial list of winners in the Nov. 6 and the preliminary issue of "Faces of the 133rd General Assembly.

Adding to the storyline of the evening, all five candidates who lost were allies of Rep. (R-Glenford) in his battle to be speaker in the 133rd General Assembly against Speaker Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell), with many of them spurning help from the Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee (OHROC).

House Democratic Leader (D-Dayton) said the party picked up seats because it had recruited great candidates and "people who are going to make great legislators."

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Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus), who easily won re-election to his seat, noted that Franklin County will send the largest Democratic delegation to the Ohio House in the history of the county, and will have the largest Democratic delegation of any county in the state.

House Republicans flipped one seat, the 59th House District held by Rep. (R-Poland), where Don Manning defeated Eric Ungaro. Ungaro is a teacher and Poland Township trustee. Manning, who lost a bid for the district in 2016, is a New Middletown councilman. President won the district in 2012, but Trump received more than 57 percent of the vote in 2016.

In a statement, Smith said "This is truly a great night for the state of Ohio and I am proud to be bringing back a strong Republican majority to the Ohio House, and I want to thank Chairman Scott Ryan for leading our organization during this campaign cycle. As a caucus, House Republicans will continue to promote the kinds of policies that have helped our state create more than a half-million private sector jobs, reduce the unemployment rate and protect our state's most vulnerable populations."

Meanwhile in the Senate, Boccieri lost his bid for the 33rd Senate District to , the director of operations for Rulli Bros. grocery stores in Youngstown and president of the Leetonia Exempted Village School District school board. The district had overwhelmingly supported Obama in 2012 over Republican Mitt Romney, but then flipped the other way for Trump in 2016.

Gonzales, however, held a slight lead in the 3rd Senate District now held by Sen. (R-Minerva Park) that is within the margin of an automatic recount but with provisional and absentee ballots still to be counted. The thin margin comes against , a political newcomer who had been hit hard with ads highlighting her involvement in a hit and run when she was a teenager, and who had done little campaigning for the seat.

Should her lead hold, Republicans will have a 25-8 advantage in the Senate.

In other races:

Robinson defeated Jim Trakas in the 6th House District.

Robinson is the vice president for regional and site operations for City Year Inc. He ran for the seat in 2016, losing to Rep. Marlene Anielski (R-Walton Hills) by 22 points.

Trakas is a former state representative and former director of the Ohio Board of Cosmetology and the current chairman and CEO of American Online Learning Center. He is an ally of Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) who defeated a Smith- backed candidate in the Republican primary.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the district in 2012 and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won it in 2016.

Sen. Mike Skindell (D-Lakewood) defeated Republican attorney Kay Carson in the 13th Ohio House District.

Skindell, a former Ohio House Representative and Lakewood City Council member, is the ranking minority member of the Senate Finance Committee. He previously served four terms in the House and sought to return, having been term limited in the Senate. He succeeds Rep. (D-Lakewood) who in-turn ran for his Senate seat.

Carson is an attorney with Wegman, Hessler & Vanderburg who previously worked as a legislative aide in the Ohio House from 1993 through 1998. He is a graduate of Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law.

Rep. Dave Greesnspan (R-Westlake) defeated Cassimir Svigelj in 16th House District.

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Greenspan, a small business owner, was seeking his second term after getting 56 percent of the vote in an open district in 2016. Svegelj was a full-time candidate.

Romney barely bested Obama in the district in 2012, and Clinton outdid Trump here in 2016.

Lightbody defeated Tim Barhorst in the 19th House District.

Lightbody is an educator who has worked in a number of school districts in Central Ohio and also taught at and Ohio State University's Newark campus.

Barhorst owns his own insurance agency in Westerville. A Householder-backed candidate, he defeated a Smith-backed candidate in the primary and refused help from the caucus campaign fund.

Romney won the district in 2012, but Clinton won it in 2016.

Richard Brown defeated Bobby Mitchell in the 20th House District.

Brown, an attorney, was seeking election to the seat he was appointed to after Rep. Heather Bishoff left the seat in 2017. Mitchell is a minister at a church in the district.

The race received more attention after a resident of the apartment complex where Mitchell is registered to vote filed a challenge to Mitchell's voter registration, saying Mitchell lived with his wife in a house in Fairfield County outside of the district. Secretary of State Jon Husted broke a Franklin County Board of Elections tie on the issue in Mitchell's favor, though the executive director of the board of elections referred the matter to the Franklin County sheriff. Mitchell claimed racial prejudice factored into the challenge and investigation, and attacked Brown over the matter in press conferences and ads.

Obama won the district in 2012 and Clinton won it in 2016.

In the 21st House District, Liston defeated Stu Harris.

Liston is a physician who also serves as an associate professor of clinical internal medicine and pediatrics at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Harris, a Householder ally who defeated a Smith-backed candidate in the primary, is an attorney at Nationwide Insurance who serves on the Dublin City School Board.

Romney won the district in 2016 but Clinton won it in 2016.

Rep. (R-Grove City) won the 23rd House District over Russell Harris.

Lanese was seeking a second term in the district after winning with nearly 58 percent of the vote in 2016. Harris is a professor of economics at Franklin University.

Romney narrowly defeated Obama in 2012 in the district, but Trump won it over Clinton by more than 6 percentage points.

Russo won the 24th House District over Erik Yassenoff.

Russo is a researcher with health care policy consultant Kennel and Associates.

Yassenoff, who has received the backing of Householder, is an Upper Arlington city councilman who worked in the Kasich administration.

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Romney won the district in 2012, but Clinton won here in 2016.

Rep. won over in the 28th House District.

Dever is an attorney who won the previously Democratic-held district in 2014. Miranda is an insurance broker who lost to Dever by nearly 15 points on 2016.

Romney won the district in 2012 while Clinton won it in 2016.

Rep. Anthony DeVitis (R-Uniontown) won the 36th House District, defeating Timothy Paul Piatt.

DeVitis, a small business owner, was seeking another term, facing off against attorney Piatt. DeVitis won re-election in 2016 with nearly 64 percent of the vote.

Obama won the district in 2012, but Trump flipped it in 2016.

In the 37th House District, Weinstein defeated Mike Rasor.

Weinstein is a Hudson city councilman who lost a bid to unseat Rep. Kristina Roegner in 2016, while Rasor, a Householder- backed candidate, is an attorney and Stow councilman.

Rasor faced negative headlines after a federal judge levied a large fine against him, charging unethical behavior in the way he represented a client who now is serving a prison sentence for fraud. Rasor is fighting the fine, saying his client misled him and that he did not want to break attorney-client privilege.

Romney won the district in 2012, but Clinton bested Trump here by less than a percentage point.

Rep. . Todd Smith won the 43rd House District over Dan Foley.

J. Todd Smith was appointed to the seat after its former occupant, Rep. Jeff Rezabek, was appointed to a Montgomery County judgeship. Foley is a Montgomery County commissioner.

Romney won here in 2012 and Trump won in 2016.

Sen. (R-North Canton) defeated Democratic challenger Lorraine Wilburn in the 48th House District.

Oelslager returns to the House after serving four terms there from 2003 to 2010. In the Senate, he chairs the Senate Finance Committee and sits on the health, human services and Medicaid; judiciary and rules and reference committees. He is again seeking to flip seats with House Speaker Pro Tem (R-Canton).

Lorraine Wilburn is an activist and co-founder of progressive organization Action Together Stark, which she organized alongside Democratic Senate Candidate Lauren Friedman, who is running against Schuring. She previously worked as a government contractor and analyst for the National Institutes of Health and for nonprofit Microfinance Transparency.

Reggie Stoltzfus won the 50th House District, defeating Cassie Gabelt.

Stoltzfus, a Smith-backed candidate, won a primary over a Householder-backed candidate. He is a business owner and a Paris Township trustee. Gabelt is a mediator and U.S. Navy veteran.

Obama won the district in 2012, but the district has taken a red turn since then, with Trump taking 63 percent of the vote in 2016. Former Rep. Christina Hagan won re-election with nearly 73 percent of the vote in 2016.

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Senate Majority Whip (R-North Ridgeville) beat Democrat Kelly Kraus Mencke in the 55th House District.

Manning currently is the Senate Finance Committee Vice Chair and sits on the Senate education; local government, public safety and veterans affairs; rules and reference; and transportation, commerce and workforce committees. She switching seats with her son, Rep. (R-North Ridgeville).

Mencke is a sales strategist at Cision in Cleveland and a graduate of Cleveland State University's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.

Rep. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake) won the 60th House District over Mike Zuren.

Rogers had won re-election in 2016 with nearly 55 percent of the vote. Zuren is an Eastlake councilman and a mortgage banker.

Obama won the district with 53 percent of the vote in 2012, but Trump flipped it and won with 52 percent of the vote in 2016.

Sen. (R-Ostrander) defeated Chris Hoffman in the open 67th House District.

Jordan was seeking to come back to the seat he previously before moving to the Ohio Senate where he is term-limited. He was challenged by Hoffman, an attorney. However, Jordan received negative publicity after details of his contentious divorce were reported by area media outlets, many of the details coming out the weekend before the election.

The seat's current occupant, term-limited Rep. (R-Powell), won with 65 percent of the vote in 2016, and Trump received 55 percent of the vote.

Randi Clites defeated Jim Lutz in the 75th House District.

Clites is a public health advocate who serves as an associate director of the Northern Ohio Hemophilia Foundation. Lutz is an IT administrator and member of the Suffield Township Zoning Commission.

Former Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) defeated Lutz with 55 percent of the vote in 2016, but Republicans had hopes to pick up the seat after Trump bested Clinton here by more than 4 points, despite Obama's winning the district by 2 points in 2012.

The 88th House District was won by Rep. (R-Tiffin) over Rachel Crooks.

Reineke was favored to win re-election in the heavily Republican district. He had been unopposed in 2016, and Trump grabbed nearly 60 percent of the vote after Obama lost to Romney by about 2 percentage points in 2012.

The race received more attention, though, because of Crooks, who works at Heidelberg University and was among the women who had accused Trump of sexual harassment from when she worked at his company.

Rep. Steve Arndt (R-Port Clinton) won the 89th House District over Joe Helle.

Arndt was seeking re-election to the former Democratic seat that flipped in 2014 with Arndt winning it with 61 percent of the vote in 2016. Helle, the former mayor of Oak Harbor, was running on his record as a veteran but had been the target of negative ads pointing out personnel reviews from when he was a police officer.

Obama won the district with 53 percent of the vote in 2012, but Trump won with 54 percent in 2016.

The 92nd House District was won by Rep. (R-Circleville) over Beth Workman.

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Scherer, an accountant, was seeking re-election after being unopposed in 2016. Workman is a teacher who worked at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio and at Paint Valley Local Schools.

While the district is considered Republican with Trump getting 65 percent of the vote in 2016, some reports had the race close and Republicans and allied groups poured money into negative advertisements against Workman in the final few weeks of the campaign.

Rep. (R-Nelsonville) scored a victory in the 94th House District over Taylor Sappington.

Edwards flipped the district red in 2016, and Republicans were confident of his ability to hold it, noting he is well known even in the Democratic parts of the district. Democrats hoped to regain it with Sappington, a Nelsonville councilman.

The district voted for Obama in 2012 but went red with Trump in 2016.

The 99th House District race was won by Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson), who defeated Michael Pircio.

Patterson, a former teacher, was seeking re-election after he was unopposed in 2016. This time, he faced Pircio, a bank compliance auditor.

Obama won in 2012 here with nearly 52 percent of the vote, but Trump won it with more than 58 percent in 2016.

Rep. Stephen Huffman (R-Tipp City) beat Democrat Paul Bradley in the 5th Senate District.

Huffman, a physician, chairs the House Health Committee and sits on the education and career readiness, and insurance committees. He will succeed Sen. (R-Tipp City), who is term-limited.

Bradley has been active in the Miami Valley Democratic party, serving as a regional representative for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and a member of Montgomery County Democratic Party's Executive Committee.

Rep. (D-Toledo) defeated Republican challenger Ernest McCarthy in the 11th Senate District.

Being a former Toledo Public Schools teacher, Fedor is currently the ranking member of the House Education and Career Readiness Committee and sits on the armed services, veterans affairs and homeland security and ways and means committees. She also serves on the Joint Education Oversight Committee. She replaces Senate Minority Whip Edna Brown (D-Toledo) who is term limited.

McCarthy is a former carpenter, construction supervisor and electrical equipment salesman who had the support of the Lucas County Republican Party.

Rep. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) defeated Democratic real estate broker Sharon Sweda in the 13th Senate District.

Manning will succeed his mother, Senate Majority Whip Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), who serves as vice chair on the Senate Finance Committee. Nathan Manning chairs the House Criminal Justice Committee and sits on the House civil justice, education and career readiness and transportation and public safety committees.

Sweda is the head of the American Patriot Title Agency in Lorain County and was previously the president of the Lorain County Association of Realtors, chair of the Cleveland Area Board of Realtors and district vice president for the Ohio Association of Realtors.

Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) defeated Democratic challenger Louise Valentine of Westerville in the 19th Senate District. He also beat out Green Party candidate Gary Cox.

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Brenner currently chairs the House Education and Career Readiness Committee and formerly served as Delaware County recorder. He replaces Sen. Kris Jordan (R-Ostrander), who is term limited and ran for the House District 67 seat, which he won.

Valentine, consumer analyst for Brands, holds bachelor's and master's degrees in textiles and clothing from Ohio State University.

Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) beat Republican candidate Steve Flores of Parma in the 23rd Ohio Senate District.

She succeeds Sen. Mike Skindell (D-Lakewood), who in-turn ran for Antonio's 13th District seat in the House. Antonio is the ranking member on the House Health Committee and also sits on the House Finance Committee as well as the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee.

Rep. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) beat Democratic attorney Adam VanHo in the 27th Senate District.

Roegner chairs the House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committee and sits on the House Public Utilities Committee. She succeeds Sen. Frank LaRose (R-Copley), who was elected secretary of state.

VanHo is a practicing attorney in Hudson and has previously served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Montgomery and Summit counties and was an assistant attorney general in the 's Office before entering private practice.

House Speaker Pro Tem Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) defeated Democratic challenger Lauren Friedman in the 29th Senate District to move back to the Ohio Senate where he also served from 2003 to 2010.

The term-limited Schuring served as acting speaker of the House from April until June 2018, following the resignation Speaker (R-Clarksville) and prior to the election of Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) as the new leader of the Ohio House. Schuring is currently vice chair of both the House Rules and Reference Committee and of the Ohio Retirement Study Council. He replaces Sen. Scott Oelslager, who in-turn ran to fill Schuring's 48th House District seat.

Freidman is a counselor at the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities and a Navy veteran who graduated from U.S. Naval Academy in 2002. She helped to organize the community group Action Together Stark alongside Democratic House Candidate Lorrain Wilburn, who is running against Oelslager, in 2016 and remains active in the North Canton area.

Donnelly, Stewart Pull Off Upset in Ohio Supreme Court Races

The two Democratic candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court -- Judge Michael Donnelly of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and Judge Melody Stewart of the Eight District Court of Appeals in Cleveland -- pulled off the upset of the evening by both securing seats on the high court.

Donnelly fills the seat being vacated by Justice Terrence O'Donnell who, because of age, was ineligible to run again while Stewart unseated Justice Mary DeGenaro who had been appointed to the Court by Gov. at the beginning of 2018, replacing Justice William O'Neill. (See The Hannah Report, 1/25/18.)

Donnelly won with 60 percent of the vote over Judge Craig Baldwin while Stewart received 52.5 percent of the vote in her contest with DeGenaro.

Donnelly spoke at the Ohio Democratic Party celebration in Columbus, telling the crowd that his campaign was about making Ohio's justice system more efficient and accountable. He said his win will help ensure that there is "justice for all of us."

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He said closing the gap between people who can afford representation and people who can't is among his top priorities on the Court, as well as reforming the plea bargaining system, telling the crowd that what is said behind closed doors on a plea bargain should be said on the record as well.

Later in the evening. the Ohio Democratic Party released the following statement from Chairman David Pepper:

"Tonight, Judge Melody Stewart made history as the first-ever African-American woman and first-ever African-American Democrat elected statewide, bringing extraordinary insight and experience to the Ohio Supreme Court. Judge Michael P. Donnelly ran a great campaign focused on the foundational principles of our nation: equal justice and fair treatment for all.

"We are proud to have to have these two great public servants representing the interests of all Ohioans on our state Supreme Court."

Incumbent Bruns Loses School Board Race; One Race Too Close to Call

State Board of Education (SBOE) member Pat Bruns lost her reelection bid on Tuesday night, falling to challenger Jenny Kilgore in a close race.

Kilgore ended up with 50.57 percent of the vote, beating Bruns' 49.43 percent to take the school board's 4th District seat.

In the too-close-to-call seven-way race for the 2nd District, Kirstin Hill leads with 17.77 percent of the vote, with Jeanine Donaldson close behind with 17.36 percent. Sue Larimer has 16.14 percent, Annette Dudek Shine has 13.37 percent, Vicki Donovan Lyle has 13.08 percent, Charles Forehlich has 11.62 percent and . Roger Knight has 10.66 percent.

Charlotte McGuire won the 3rd District with 42.45 percent, beating Dawn Wojcik's 29.6 percent and Matthew McGowan's 27.95 percent.

Former Rep. John Hagan won the Eighth District with 42.13 percent, beating Kathleen Purdy's 33.13 percent and Melissa Dahman's 24.74 percent.

Sarah Fowler was reelected to the 7th District, running unopposed.

Election Day Arrives as Early Voting Outpaces 2014 Totals

The polls were open Tuesday for Ohio voters to choose new statewide officer holders, a U.S. senator, the 133rd General Assembly, and congressional representatives, with few reported problems around the state.

Secretary of State Jon Husted's office said there were no problems that appeared that were out of the ordinary from any other election year. Among those reported were power outages at a few polling locations that were able to use generators, and longer lines during the heavier traffic times of the day.

Many more Ohioans avoided the lines by voting early. Husted's office announced that at the close of in-person absentee voting, an estimated 1,491,762 absentee ballots had been requested, and 1,313,944 had been cast statewide, including 9,700 ballot requests from military and overseas voters, of which more than 5,300 were cast.

At the same point in absentee voting in 2014, the last statewide officeholder and mid-term election, nearly 1 million absentee ballots were requested and 813,000 had been cast. In the 2010 general election, 1,033,350 were cast. In 2016, the presidential election, Ohioans cast more than 1.8 million ballots early.

Husted's office said of the ballots cast, 884,323 were by mail and 429,521 were in person.

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The following list was compiled using data from the secretary of state's office Unopposed WI = Write In Updated 11/6/18 Ohio House Dist. Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party 1 S. Wiggam Kevin Barnet Elizabeth Thomas (L) 2 M. Romanchuk Lane Winters X Timothy Grady (L) 3 T. Gavarone Aidan Hubbell Staeble X 4 R. Cupp Tristam Cheesman Robert Cupp X 5 T. Ginter John Dyce X 6 M. Anielski Phil Robinson X Jim Trakas 7 T. Patton Aziz Ahmad X 8 . Smith X 9 J. Boyd X Joe Miller 10 . Patmon X 11 S. Howse X Shalira Taylor 12 J. Barnes X 13 . Antonio Mike Skindell X Jay Carson 14 M. Sweeney X Ryan McClain (L) 15 N. Celebrezze X Kevin Kussmaul 16 D. Greenspan Cassimir Svigelj Dave Greenspan X 17 A. Miller X John Rush 18 K. Boggs X David Todd 19 A. Gonzales Mary Lightbody X Tim Barhorst 20 R. Brown Richard Brown X Bobby Mitchell 21 M. Duffey Beth Liston X Stu Harris 22 D. Leland David Leland X Doug Moody 23 L. Lanese Russ Harris Laura Lanese X 24 J. Hughes Allison Russo X Erik . Yassenoff 25 B. Kent Bernadine Kent X Debbie Staggs 26 . Craig Erica Crawley X Shareeque Arife Sadiq Steve Dodge () 27 T. Brinkman Christine Fisher X 28 J. Dever Jessica Miranda Jonathan Dever X Regina Collins (I)(WI) 29 L. Blessing III Carrie Davis III X 30 B. Seitz Clayton Adams X 31 B. Kelly X 32 . Ingram X Marilyn Tunnat 33 A. Reece X Judith Boyce 34 . Sykes X Josh Sines 35 T. Galonski X Osita Obierika Kevin Fay (Green) 36 A. DeVitis Tim Platt Anthony DeVitis X 37 K. Roegner Casey Weinstein X Mike Rasor 38 M. Slaby Elliot Kolkovich X 39 F. Strahorn Fred Strahorn X 40 M. Henne Ryan Rebecca Taylor X 41 J. Butler John McManus Jim Butler X 42 N. Antani Zach Dickerson X 43 J. Rezabek Dan Foley Jeffrey Todd Smith X 44 M. Ashford Paula Hicks-Hudson X 45 T. Fedor X David Davenport 46 M. Sheehy X 47 D. Merrin Gary Newnham X 48 K. Schuring Lorraine Wilburn Scott Oelslager X 49 T. West Thomas West X James Haavisto 50 C. Hagan Cassie Gabelt Reginald Stoltzfus X 51 W. Retherford Susan Vaughn X 52 G. Lang Kathy Wyenandt George Lang X 53 C. Keller Becky Howard X 54 P. Zeltwanger Nikki Foster X 55 N. Manning Kelly Kraus Mencke Gayle Manning X W. Daniel Fichtel (L) 56 D. Ramos Joe Miller X Rob Weber 57 D. Stein James Johnson X 58 M. Lepore-Hagan Michele LePore-HaganX David T. Simon 59 J. Boccieri Eric Ungaro Don Manning X 60 J. Rogers John Rogers X Mike Zuren 61 R. Young Rick Walker X 62 S. Lipps James Staton X 63 G. Holmes Glenn Holmes X Jim Hughes 64 M. O'Brien Michael O'Brien X Martha Yoder 65 J. Becker Patty Lawrence X 66 D. Green Jeff Richards Doug Green X 67 A. Brenner Cory Hoffman Kris Jordan X 68 R. Carfagna Kathleen Tate X Patrick Glasgow (L) 69 S. Hambley Carol Brenstuhl X 70 D. Kick Steve Johnson X 71 S. Ryan Jeremy Blake Scott Ryan X 72 L. Householder Tyler Shipley Larry Householder X 73 R. Perales Kim McCarthy X 74 B. Dean Anne Gorman X 75 K. Clyde X Jim Lutz Austin Bashore (I)(WI) 76 S. LaTourette John Kennedy Sarah LaTourette X 77 T. Schaffer Brett Pransky X Kryssi Wichers (L) 78 R. Hood Amber Daniels X 79 K. Koehler Amanda Finfrock X 80 S. Huffman D.J. Byrnes X 81 J. Hoops Janet Breneman X 82 C. Riedel Aden Baker X 83 R. Sprague Mary E. Harshfield X 84 K. Faber Joe Monbeck X 85 N. Vitale Garrett Baldwin X 86 D. Pelanda Glenn Coble X Taylor Hoffman (L) 87 R. McClain Mary Pierce-Broadwater Rioridan McClain X 88 B. Reineke Rachel Crooks Bill Reineke X 89 S. Arndt Joe Helle Steve Arndt X 90 T. Johnson Adrienne Buckler X 91 S. Wilkin Justin Grimes X 92 G. Scherer Beth Workman Gary Scherer X 93 R. Smith Samantha Thomas-Bush Ryan Smith X 94 J. Edwards Taylor Sappington Jay Edwards X 95 A. Thompson Dan Milleson Don Jones X 96 J. Cera X 97 B. Hill Kristine Geis Brian Hill X 98 A. Landis Jerimiah Johnson X 99 J. Patterson John Patterson X Michael Pircio Ohio Senate Dist. Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party 1 R. McColley Adam Papin Robert McColley X 3 K. Bacon Tina Maharath Anne Gonzales TCTC 5 B. Beagle Paul Bradley Steve Huffman X 7 S. Wilson Sara Bitter Steve Wilson X 9 C. Thomas Cecil Thomas X Tom Chandler 11 E. Brown Teresa Fedor X Ernest McCarthy 13 G. Manning Sharon Sweda Nathan Manning X Homer S. Taft (L) 15 C. Tavares X Jordan Garcea 17 B. Peterson Scott M. Dailey Bob Peterson X 19 K. Jordan Louise Valentine Andrew Brenner X Gary Cox (Green) 21 S. Williams Sandra Williams X Thomas Pekarek 23 M. Skindell Nickie Antonio X Steve A. Flores 25 K. Yuko X William J. Faehnrich 27 F. LaRose Adam VanHo Kristina Daley RoegnerX 29 S. Oelslager Lauren Friedman Kirk Schuring X 31 J. Hottinger Melinda Miller X 33 J. Schiavoni John Boccieri Michael Rulli X U.S. House Dist. Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party 1 S. Chabot Aftab Pureval Steve Chabot X Kiumars Kiani (I) (WI) Dirk Kubala (L) 2 B. Wenstrup Jill Schiller X James Condit (G) David Baker (I) (WI) 3 J. Beatty X Jim Burgess Millie Milam (I) (WI) 4 J. Jordan Janet Garrett Jim Jordan X 5 B. Latta J. Michael Galbraith X Don Kissick (L) 6 B. Johnson Shawna Roberts Bill Johnson X 7 B. Gibbs Ken Harbaugh Bob Gibbs X 8 W. Davidson Vanessa Enoch X 9 M. Kaptur X Steven Kraus Mckenzie Levindofske (I) (WI) 10 M. Turner Theresa Gasper Mike Turner X David Harlow (L) 11 M. Fudge X Beverly Goldstein McKenzie Levindofske (I)(WI) 12 T. Balderson Danny O'Connor Troy Balderson X Joe Manchik (Green) Marc Fagin (I)(WI) 13 T. Ryan Tim Ryan X Chris DePizzo 14 D. Joyce Betsy Rader Dave Joyce X 15 S. Stivers Rick Neal Steve Stivers X Jonathan Miller (L) 16 J. Renacci Susan Moran Palmer Anthony Gonzalez X U.S. Senate Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party S. Brown Sherrod Brown X Jim Renacci Stephen Faris (I)(WI) Governor/Lt. Governor Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party J. Kasich R. Cordray/B. Sutton M. DeWine/J. Husted X C. Gadell-Newton/Joseph (G) T. Irvine/Grayson (L) R. Ayres/Durgans(I)(WI) R. Turner/Colton (I)(WI) R. Duncan/Artino (I) (WI) Attorney General Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party M. DeWine Steve Dettelbach Dave Yost X Auditor Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party D. Yost Zack Space Keith Faber X Robert Coogan (L) Secretary of State Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party Kathleen Clyde Frank LaRose X Dustin Nanna (L) Michael Bradley (I) (WI) Treasurer Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party Rob Richardson Robert Sprague X Supreme Court Dist. Incumbent Democrat Republican Third Party M. DeGenaro Melody Stewart X Mary DeGenaro T. O'Donnell Michael Donnelly X Craig Baldwin State Board of Education Dist. Incumbent Non-Partisan 2 C. Froehlich Charles Froehlich Sue Larimer Vicki Donovan Lyle Annette Dudek Shine Jeanine P. Donaldson Kirsten Hill TCTC W. Roger Knight 3 C. McGuire Matthew D. McGowan Charlotte McGuire X Dawn E. Wojcik 4 P. Bruns Pat Bruns Jenny Kilgore X 7 S. Fowler Sarah Fowler X 8 N. Hollister Melissa M. Dahman John P. Hagan X Kathleen Purdy