The race for the White House wasn’t determined Tuesday night. In fact, it may take a courtroom challenge before a winner is selected, a la the 2000 race between George W. Bush and Al Gore, which didn’t end until Dec. 12.
Time will tell.
But in the interim, what did Decision 2020 tell us about Ohio in general and north central Ohio in particular?
VOTER TURNOUT
Start with the fact that more Ohioans chose to participate in the election process, whether by absentee, early voting and on Election Day.
According to Secretary of State Frank LaRose, about 71 percent of eligible voters cast ballots during this election.
A reported 5,761,200 votes were cast, up 4 percent from the 5,496,487 ballots in 2016 and 3 percent more than 2012, when 5,580,847 Ohioans voted.
In Richland County, participation mirrored state numbers with 71.22 percent of eligible voters participating (58,945 out of 82,764), a number that will likely grow by more than 2,000 more when provisional and absentee votes are tabulated in the next couple of weeks.
In 2016, 68.4 of registered county voters participated (56,106 out of 82,032).
POWER OF INCUMBENCY
Across the state, all 16 members from Ohio’s delegation to the U.S. House were re-elected to new two-year terms, including 12 Republicans and four Democrats.
The state will be redistricted before the 2022 election when the 2020 U.S. Census is complete, so those numbers may change during the next campaign. But for the next two years, incumbency was key in Ohio.
In the three Congressional districts that touch north central Ohio, three Republican incumbents won easy victories — Troy Balderson (55 percent in District 12), Bob Gibbs (68 percent in District 7) and Jim Jordan (68 percent in District 4) are all headed back to the House as part of what will likely again be the minority party.
In Richland County, nearly every incumbent officer holder was unopposed on the ballot Tuesday, including Republican commissioners Darrell Banks and Tony Vero; Republican Prosecutor Gary Bishop; Republican Clerk of Courts Linda Frary; Republican Sheriff Steve Sheldon; Republican Recorder Sarah Davis; Democratic Treasurer Bart Hamilton; Republican Engineer Adam Gove; Republican Coroner Daniel Burwell; and Common Pleas Court Common Pleas General Division Judge Phillip Naumoff.
There was no elected incumbent in either the race for Juvenile Court judge or probate court judge. But voters easily retained appointed Republican Judge Steve McKinley in the Juvenile Court and selected Republican Kelly Badnell in Probate Court.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Voters in Richland County, and also in Ashland and Medina counties, and a small segment of Holmes County selected candidates with political experience in choosing who will they will send to Ohio’s General Assembly.
In the 22nd Senate District, four-time Ohio House winner Mark Romanchuk, a Republican from Ontario, swept to an easy win over political newcomer Ryan Hunger, a Democrat from from Medina, earning about 69 percent of the total vote in the multi-county district.
In the race for the Ohio House 2nd District, Richland County voters chose current county Commissioner Marilyn John, a former mayor of Shelby. John defeated Democratic newcomer Sam Grady, receiving about 70 percent of the vote.
SPLIT JUDICIARY
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy, a Republican, was re-elected with about 55 percent of the vote. However, Democratic challenger Jennifer Bruner ousted Republican Judi French in the other race for the top court.
Not surprisingly, given the domination Republicans enjoyed in Richland County on Tuesday, both of the incumbents fared well locally. Kennedy got 57 percent of the vote while French received 51 percent in the “non-partisan” race that candidates reach by winning party primaries.
On the ballot, none of the Supreme Court candidates are identified by party. The split decision gives Democrats three seats on the court for the first time since 1993.
OHIO BACKS TRUMP — AGAIN
Though many polls showed Democrat Joe Biden with a lead in Ohio in the presidential race, Donald Trump carried the Buckeye State with an even wider margin than he did in 2016.
Trump received 3,074,418 votes, about 53 percent of the total, compared to 2,603,681 for Biden.
In 2016, Trump had 52 percent of the vote against Democrat Hillary Clinton, winning 2,841,005 to 2,394,164.
Trump fared even better in north central Ohio, receiving about 72 percent of the total votes cast in Richland, Ashland, Knox and Crawford counties.
According to final, unofficial vote totals from boards of election in those four counties, Trump received 96,404 votes, compared to 36,953 for Biden.
