2024 General Election Results and Analysis

Although Ohio is no longer a critical swing state for presidential politics, national eyes were still trained on Ohio where control of the U.S. Senate potentially hinged on the outcome of the race between three-term Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger and Cleveland-area businessman Bernie Moreno. At the end of the night, Moreno defeated Senator Brown 50.2% to 46.4%.  

In the Presidential election, former President Donald Trump cruised to victory in Ohio, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris 55.23% to 43.88%. Trump exceeded previous margins of victory, having won Ohio by 8 percentage points in both 2016 and 2020. The improvement signaled an overall strength for the Republican ticket in Ohio and across the nation.

Early in the morning on November 6, it became clear that Trump would join Grover Cleveland as the only President to win nonconsecutive terms. Republicans flipped control of the Senate and appear, although some races are still too close to call, to have maintained control of the House, potentially giving the Republican party a trifecta in Washington D.C.

Below is our summary and analysis of the initial General Election results. A grid of all preliminary winners is included below. All results are preliminary until the official canvas is completed later in November.

Federal General Election Results

Senate

Three-term U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Cleveland) faced Cleveland-area car dealer and businessman Bernie Moreno in the most expensive campaign in Ohio history. An estimated $500 million was spent on the race, given its importance for which party controls the United States Senate.

While many pundits believed Senator Brown would enjoy crossover votes from Trump supporters, and based on initial results he did receive some, in the end there were too few for Brown to overcome the Republican Election Night strength. Low turnout in Cuyahoga County was likely a factor in Brown’s loss.

Also of note, with President Trump’s victory, Ohio’s other U.S. Senator J.D. Vance will assume the office of Vice President in January 2025, creating a vacancy in Ohio’s second U.S. Senate seat. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) will appoint a replacement, which could impact who seeks Ohio’s statewide constitutional offices in 2026.

House of Representatives

Ohio had three competitive congressional races in 2024. In the end, incumbents prevailed in their reelection bids, although one race is still too close to call. State Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) challenged long-time incumbent Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), the current longest-serving member of Congress in the nation. Congresswoman Kaptur appears on the cusp of victory, with a narrow lead, but the race remains too close to call.

Two additional races were close, but democratic incumbents were reelected when Congressman Greg Landsman (D-Cincinnati) defeated Orlando Sonza (R-Cincinnati) and Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) defeated former State Rep. Kevin Coughlin (R-Akron).

Nationally, Republicans appear to have held on to their majority. The Democratic Party needed to only flip four seats to regain control of the chamber.

Judicial Races

Ohio Supreme Court

In the only judicial races in the nation that determined partisan control of a state supreme court, the three Republican candidates prevailed, handing Ohio Republicans a commanding 6-1 majority on the state’s high court.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins (R-Columbus) defeated Judge Lisa Forbes (D-Cleveland) to finish the remainder of the Ohio Supreme Court Justice term that expires December 31, 2025. This seat was previously held by Chief Justice Kennedy. It is anticipated that Hawkins will run again for a full term in 2026.

Justice Joe Deters (R-Cincinnati), who was appointed to fill the seat, chose to run for a full term against Justice Melody Stewart (D-Cleveland).

Finally, Judge Megan Shanahan (R-Cincinnati) defeated Justice Michael P. Donnelly (D-Cleveland Heights). The November 2024 General Election is the second statewide election showing party affiliation alongside Ohio Supreme Court candidates’ names (and Court of Appeals candidates) on the ballot.

Court of Appeals

The story of 2024’s election for Court of Appeals judges is the low number of contested races. Only five of the 24 races were contested.

Notably, all four races in Hamilton County’s 1^st District were contested, but in a continuing signal of the County’s shifting demographics, democratic candidates swept. Common Pleas Judge Terry Nestor (D) defeated Sean Donovan (R); Appellate Judge Marilyn Zayas (D) defeated Stacy Lefton (R); Appellate Judge Candace Crouse (D) defeated M. Elizabeth Polston (R); and Rich Moore (D) defeated Common Pleas Judge Robert Goering (R).

The other contested race was in the 9^th District between Magistrate Steve Elliott (D) and Judge Jennifer Hensal (R), with Judge Hensal winning reelection.

State Issue 1 – Redistricting Reform

Issue 1, a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment replacing Ohio’s current redistricting process with a citizen-led commission to draw state legislature and congressional districts, failed with approximately 54% of voting Ohioans rejecting the proposal. Early polling indicated the amendment was poised to pass, but ultimately the final result mirrored the presidential race, indicating that partisanship likely played a role in the measure’s defeat. Supporters had hoped to garner bipartisan support.

Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) celebrated the victory on election night saying, “Voters recognized that establishing an unelected, unaccountable fourth branch of government under Issue 1 was a very bad idea. Ohio voters protected their power and their voice by defeating a well-financed and secretly funded attack on democracy. History shows Ohioans will only support constitutional reforms if they are truly bipartisan.”

Ohio General Assembly General Election Results

Most General Assembly election matchups finished as projected. House and Senate Democrats gained a handful of seats, but not in the numbers that party leaders had hoped for. Most of the races were in districts that were drawn more favorably during the last redistricting cycle.

Ohio Senate

State Rep. Willis Blackshear (D-Dayton) won a contested race in the Dayton area earning the right to move to the Senate. He defeated Charlotte McGuire (R-Dayton), a member of the State Board of Education. Another State Representative, Beth Liston (D-Dublin) won a Franklin County Senate seat. Both of those races represented gains for Democrats. State Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) also won his bid to switch chambers, holding onto a seat currently held by State Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron).

On the Republican side, Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) won reelection and State Rep. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) is returning to the upper chamber. Senate Democrats hoped that a strong night would make those two seats competitive.

Ohio House

House Democrats celebrated flipping the entire Franklin County delegation blue. Crystal Lett (D-Hilliard) defeated State Senator Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), who was attempting to return to the lower chamber and had previously won competitive races in the heavily Democratic County. In the southwestern part of the County, Mark Sigrist (D-Grove City) defeated Brian Garvine (R-Ashville). Democrats also won the 41^st district in the Toledo area with Erika White (D-Toledo) defeating Josiah Lienbach (R-Bowling Green).

However, House Republicans defended several members who could have been vulnerable if the top of the ticket underperformed in suburban areas. State Reps. Andrea White (R-Kettering), Bill Roemer (R-Richfield), Jim Thomas (R-Canton), and Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Township) all won in districts believed to be less Republican this cycle. Based on these initial results, House Republicans maintain their veto-proof supermajority in the next General Assembly.

The next question for House Republicans is who will lead the chamber in 2025. Senate President Huffman was unopposed in his bid to return to the chamber and is openly challenging current Speaker of the House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill). The caucus is reportedly holding leadership elections on November 20.

Key Local Races

County Commissioners

Democratic Franklin County Commissioners Kevin Boyce and John O’Grady were reelected without opposition on Tuesday. In Hamilton County, Democratic Commissioners Alicia Reece and Denise Driehaus defeated Jonathan Pearson and Adam Koehler, respectively.

In heavily Democratic, Cuyahoga County, which utilizes an 11-member County Council, Republican member Jack Schron is leading his Democratic challenger, Robert Schleper Jr., by less than 400 votes.

County Prosecutors

In Franklin County, Columbus City Council Member Shayla Favor defeated Republican candidate John Rutan for the role of Franklin County Prosecutor. Favor becomes the first female and first African American prosecutor for Franklin County.

In a narrow victory, Former State Representative Connie Pillich defeated Republican incumbent, Melissa Powers for the position of Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pillich is the first woman elected to the position in the County. Prosecutor Powers was appointed when Justice Deters received appointment to the Ohio Supreme Court.

In Lorain County, considered a swing county that is shifting Republican (last night President Trump won the county, but so did Sen. Brown), Republican Tony Cillo defeated incumbent Democrat J.D. Tomlinson.

School Levies

Ohio’s school districts saw mixed results. Rising property values made for a challenging environment. According to the Ohio School Board Association, a little more than half (72 of 142) of school levies passed in 2024.

Notable levy campaigns that passed included Akron City Schools ($85 million), Cleveland Municipal Schools ($295 million), Hilliard City Schools ($142 million), New Albany-Plain Local ($135 million), Norwalk City Schools ($47.8 million), and Toledo City Schools ($99 million).

Ohio’s General Assembly soon begins the lame duck session, which is set to return for session after the November General Election. Lame duck is always a frantic and hectic time at the statehouse. House Republicans will also hold a potentially contentious leadership election, with Senate President Huffman challenging current Speaker Stephens. The outcome could impact the amount of legislation passed during lame duck and the new General Assembly’s pacing in 2025. In addition, Governor DeWine will introduce his final proposed operating budget and appoint a U.S. Senator to replace Senator Vance. And of course, the 2026 elections are also right around the corner. All of that adds up to a very eventful next several months. As you are evaluating your 2025 plans and priorities, please don’t hesitate to contact the Bricker Graydon Government Relations team for more details or questions.

Preliminary Results (Winners in Bold)

U.S. House of Representatives^[1]

District	Incumbent	Democrat	Republican
1	Greg Landsman	Greg Landsman	Orlando Sonza
2	Brad Wenstrup	Samantha Meadows	David J. Taylor
3	Joyce Beatty	Joyce Beatty	Michael Young
4	Jim Jordan	Tamie Wilson	Jim Jordan
5	Bob Latta	Keith Mundy	Bob Latta
6	Bill Johnson	Michael Kripchak	Michael Rulli
7	Max Miller	Matthew Diemer	Max Miller
8	Warren Davidson	Vanessa Enoch	Warren Davidson
9	Marcy Kaptur	Marcy Kaptur[2]	Derek Merrin
10	Mike Turner	Amy Cox	Mike Turner
11	Shontel Brown	Shontel Brown	Alan Rapoport
12	Troy Balderson	Jerrad Christian	Troy Balderson
13	Emilia Sykes	Emilia Sykes	Kevin Coughlin
14	Dave Joyce	Brian Kenderes	Dave Joyce
15	Mike Carey	Adam Miller	Mike Carey

Ohio House of Representatives

District	Incumbent	Democrat	Republican
1	Dontavius Jarrells	Dontavius Jarrells	None
2	Latyna Humphrey	Latyna Humprhey	None
3	Ismail Moahmed	Ismail Mohamed	None
4	Mary Lightbody	Beryl Brown Piccolantonio	Jason Allevato
5	Richard Brown	Meredith Lawson-Rowe	None
6	Adam Miller	Christine Cockley	Hussein Jabiri
7	Allison Russo	Allison Russo	None
8	Beth Liston	Anita Somani	Aaron Neumann
9	Munira Abdhullahi	Munira Abdullahi	None
10	David Dobos	Mark Sigrist	Brian Garvine
11	Anita Somani	Crystal Lett	Stephanie Kunze
12	Brian Stewart	Brad Cotton	Brian Stewart
13	Michael Skindell	Tristan Rader	Robert Dintaman
14	Sean Brennan	Sean Brennan	David Morgan
15	Richard Dell’Aquilla	Chris Glassburn	Aaron L. Borowski
16	Bride Rose Sweeney	Bride Rose Sweeney	Daniel Harrington
17	Thomas Patton	Jessica Sutherland	Mike Dovilla
18	Darnel Brewer	Juanita Brent	Justyn Anderson
19	Phil Robinson	Phil Robinson	Kenny Godnavec
20	Terrence Upchurch	Terrence Upchurch	Donna Walker Brown
21	Elliot Forhan	Eric Synenberg	Joshua Malovasic
22	Juanita Brent	Darnell Brewer	Milan Wesley
23	Dan Troy	Dan Troy	Tony Hocevar
24	Dani Isaacsohn	Dani Isaacsohn	John Sess
25	Cecil Thomas	Cecil Thomas	Jim Berns
26	Sedrick Denson	Sedrick Denson	John Breadon
27	Rachel Baker	Rachel Baker	Curt Hartman
28	Jodi Whitted	Karen Brownlee	Jenn Giroux
29	Cindy Abrams	Joseph Salvato	Cindy Abrams
30	Bill Seitz	Stefanie Hawk	Mike Odioso
31	Bill Roemer	A.J. Harris	Bill Roemer
32	Jack Daniels	Jim Colopy	Jack Daniels
33	Veronica Sims	Veronica Sims	None
34	Casey Weinstein	Derrick Hall	Adam Bozic
35	Steve Demetriou	Mark Curtis	Steve Demetriou
36	Andrea White	Rose Lounsbury	Andrea White
37	Tom Young	None	Tom Young
38	Willis Blackshear	Desiree Tims	None
39	Phil Plummer	Dion Green	Phil Plummer
40	Rodney Creech	Bobbie Arnold	Rodney Creech
41	Josh Williams	Erika White	Josiah Lienbach
42	Derek Merrin	Elgin Rogers Jr.	None
43	Michele Grim	Michele Grim	None
44	Elgin Rogers Jr.	David Blyth	Josh Williams
45	Jennifer Gross	Landon Meador	Jennifer Gross
46	Thomas Hall	Benjamin McCall	Thomas Hall
47	Sara Carruthers	Vanessa Cummings	Diane Mullins
48	Scott Oelslager	Lynn Gorman	Scott Oelslager
49	Jim Thomas	Krista Allison	Jim Thomas
50	Reggie Stoltzfus	Doremus Redvine	Matthew Kishman
51	Brett Hillyer	Joe Rinehart	Jodi Salvo
52	Gayle Manning	Genevieve Flieger	Gayle Manning
53	Joe Miller	Joe Miller	Bradley Lacko
54	Dick Stein	Brenda Buchanan	Kellie Deeter
55	Scott Lipps	Laura Davis	Michelle Teska
56	Adam Mathews	Cleveland Canova	Adam Mathews
57	Jamie Callender	Rick Walker	Jamie Callender
58	Lauren McNally	Lauren McNally	Emily Ciccone
59	Al Cutrona	Laura Schaeffer	Tex Fischer
60	Brian Lorenz	Rachael Morocco	Brian Lorenz
61	Beth Lear	David Hogan	Beth Lear
62	Jean Schmidt	Katie Vockell	Jean Schmidt
63	Adam Bird	Tracey McCullough	Adam Bird
64	Nick Santucci	Lauren Mathews	Nick Santucci
65	Mike Loychik	None	David Thomas
66	Sharon Ray	Bradford Quade	Sharon Ray
67	Melanie Miller	Drew MclIveen	Melanie Miller
68	Thad Claggett	Michael Smith	Thad Claggett
69	Kevin D. Miller	Jamie Hough	Kevin Miller
70	Brian Lampton	Joseph Wilson	Brian Lampton
71	Bill Dean	Krista Magaw	Levi Dean
72	Gail Pavliga	Nathaniel Adams	Heidi Workman
73	Jeff LaRe	Michael Scarmack	Jeff LaRe
74	Bernard Willis	Derek Alvarado	Bernard Willis
75	Haraz Ghanbari	Jan Materni	Haraz Ghanbari
76	Marilyn John	Emily Adams	Marilyn John
77	Scott Wiggam	Mark Gooch	Meredith Craig
78	Susan Manchester	None	Matt Huffman
79	Monica Robb Blasdell	Dan Votaw	Monica Robb Blasdell
80	Jena Powell	Melissa VanDyke	Jonathan Newman
81	James Hoops	Gene Redinger	James Hoops
82	Roy Klopfenstein	Magadalene Markward	Roy Klopfenstein
83	Jon Cross	Sheila Coressel	Ty Mathews
84	Andrea King	Arienne Childrey	Angie King
85	Tim Barhorst	Victoria Maddox	Tim Barhorst
86	Tracy Richardson	Lesley Verbus	Tracy Richardson
87	Riordan McClain	Craig Swartz	Riordan McClain
88	Gary Click	Dianne Selvey	Gary Click
89	D.J. Swearingen	Alicia Roshong	D.J. Swearingen
90	Justin Pizzulli	Kaitlyn Nunneley	Justin Pizzulli
91	Bob Peterson	Ellen Clark	Bob Peterson
92	Mark Johnson	Arthur Beatty	Mark Johnson
93	Jason Stephens	None	Jason Stephens
94	Jay Edwards	Wenda Sheard	Kevin Ritter
95	Don Jones	Micah McCarey	Don Jones
96	Ron Ferguson	None	Ron Ferguson
97	Adam Holmes	None	Adam Holmes
98	Darrell Kick	Annie Homstad	Mark Hiner
99	Sarah Fowler Arthur	Louis Murphy	Sarah Fowler Arthur

Ohio Senate

District	Incumbent	Democrat	Republican
2	Theresa Gavarone	Paloma De La Fuente	Theresa Gavarone
4	George Lang	Thomas Cooke	George Lang
6	Niraj Antani	Willis Blackshear	Charlotte McGuire
8	Louis Blessing	Timothy Hogan	Louis Blessing
10	Bob Hackett	Daniel McGregor	Kyle Koehler
12	Matt Huffman	None	Susan Manchester
14	Terry Johnson	Shane Marcum	Terry Johnson
16	Stephanie Kunze	Beth Liston	Besa Sharrah
18	Jerry Cirino	Katie O’Neill	Jerry Cirino
20	Tim Schaffer	Nick Hubbell	Tim Schaffer
22	Mark Romanchuk	Kathy Salem	Mark Romanchuk
24	Matt Dolan	Sue Durichko	Tom Patton
26	Bill Reineke	Mohamed Juma	Bill Reineke
28	Vernon Sykes	Casey Weinstein	Jon Leissler
30	Brian Chavez	Iva Faber	Brian Chavez
32	Sandra O’Brien	Michael Shrodek	Sandra O’Brien

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[1] Preliminary election results. * Denotes the unofficial primary election winner.
[2] Congresswoman Kaptur is leading as of the writing of this memo.