Candidates file petitions for 2016 elections

On Wednesday, December 16, candidates across Ohio filed petitions to run on Election Day in 2016. Of course, the 2016 presidential election has been making news for several months, but there are other races of significance across the state. Below, we have compiled information about some of the races that we will be watching closely as we head into 2016. We will be continuously publishing updates as the Board of Elections announces additional information about candidates who have filed for various races.

U.S. President

As expected, a bevy of candidates have filed to run for president in Ohio, including our own governor, John Kasich. Other Republican candidates include current frontrunner Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum. Of the Republican candidates, Donald Trump is the only candidate who has not signed a pledge that he will refrain from running as an independent if he does not win the GOP nomination. He has also repeatedly stated that he may run as an independent or third-party candidate if he feels slighted by the Republican Party. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has said that if Trump files as a Republican, under Ohio law, he will be unable to later run for president as an independent. Ohio law requires independent candidates to disaffiliate with any political party “in good faith” — a standard Secretary Husted says Trump cannot meet if he first files a declaration of candidacy as a Republican.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton, Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, Bernie Sanders, Willie Wilson and Martin O’Malley have all filed as candidates.

U.S. Senate

Ohio Senator Rob Portman (R) faces reelection in 2016 with a challenge from two Republicans in the March primary: Donald Eckhart and Melisa Strzala. Eckhart previously ran for a state Senate seat in 2004 and for Congress in 2008 — both times as an independent candidate. Ms. Strzala is running as a Tea Party candidate. Three Democrats are also running for the office, including former governor Ted Strickland and P.G. Sittenfeld, a member of Cincinnati City Council. Strickland and Sittenfeld will face off in the March primary election. Strickland has the support of the Ohio Democratic Party, while Sittenfeld has been highlighted as a “fresh face” and person to watch within the party. The third Democrat running is Kelly Prather. Joseph Demare is the Green Party candidate.

U.S. House of Representatives

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Ohio will see two races of interest. House Speaker John Boehner (R-West Chester) stepped down from his post earlier this fall, and 18 candidates have filed to fill his seat in Ohio’s 8^th Congressional District. Candidates include current Ohio Representative Tim Derickson (R-Oxford), who represents the 53^rd District in the Ohio General Assembly, and Ohio Senator Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City), who represents the 5^th Ohio Senate District. Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds also filed to run for the seat, but dropped out of the race, saying he miscalculated the balance of family responsibilities and serving in Congress. Reynolds narrowly missed being endorsed by the Butler County Republican Party; he needed 60 percent of the vote but received 59 percent. With his own bid finished, Reynolds has endorsed Derickson. Other candidates of note include J.D. Winteregg, a teacher from Troy, Ohio, who unsuccessfully challenged Boehner in the 2014 primary election. Other challengers include Democrat Cory Foister, Libertarian Robert Coogan and James J. Condit, Jr. from the Green Party.

In Ohio’s 9^th Congressional District, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is facing a primary challenge from former Representative Steve Kraus from the 89^th General Assembly District. Kraus was removed from his post in the Ohio House of Representatives in July after he was convicted of a fifth-degree felony theft charge. Kraus faces a primary challenge in March from Republicans Charles Barrett, Donald Larson and Joel Lieske.

Ohio Supreme Court

The Ohio Supreme Court has two open seats for the 2016 election as Justices Paul E. Pfeifer and Judith Ann Lanzinger step down at the end of next year due to mandatory judicial retirement at age 70.

Seeking the seat vacated by Justice Pfeifer is Judge Pat DeWine, a Republican who currently sits on the 1^st District Court of Appeals in Hamilton County and is the son of Attorney General Mike DeWine. Judge DeWine faces a challenge from Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice, a Democrat who has served on the 11^th District Court of Appeals since 2003.

Judge Pat Fischer, a Republican who also serves on the 1^st District Court of Appeals in Hamilton County, is seeking to fill Justice Lanzinger’s seat. He will face Judge Colleen O’Toole in a primary election. Judge O’Toole currently sits on the 11^th District Court of Appeals. Judge John P. O’Donnell is a Democrat also running for Justice Lanzinger’s seat. He is a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge and unsuccessfully ran for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2014 against Justice Judith French.

In addition to the two open seats, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor will be running unopposed to retain her seat.

Ohio Senate

Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) faces term limits and will be vacating his seat in the 8^th Senate District. Current Representative Lou Terhar (R-Cincinnati) has filed to replace Senator Seitz and will run unopposed in the primary and general elections. Senator Seitz has filed as a candidate in the 30^th House District, which Terhar currently represents. Senator Seitz will face Democrat Mark Childers in the general election.

In Senate District 12, two former Republican state representatives have filed to replace term-limited Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina). Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Representative John Adams (R-Sidney) will face off in the March primary election. The winner will be unopposed in the general election.

Senate Majority Whip Larry Obhof (R-Medina) faces a primary challenge from Janet Folger Porter, president of activist group Faith2Action and vocal supporter of the anti-abortion “Heartbeat Bill.” Christopher King has filed to run as a Democrat.

There are several familiar names running to replace Senator Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) in Ohio’s 24^th Senate District. Representative Mike Dovilla (R-Berea), Representative Nan Baker (R-Westlake) and former Representative Matt Dolan (R) have filed as candidates. The winner of the March primary will face Democrat Emily Hagan in the general election. Hagan is the niece of former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan, former Representative Bob Hagan and current Representative Michele Lapore-Hagan of the 58^th House District.

Ohio House of Representatives

In the 51^st House District, incumbent Representative Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton) faces a primary challenge from former Representative Courtney Combs. Representative Retherford did not receive the endorsement of the Butler County Party, which backed Representative Combs for the seat instead. Also running for the seat is former Representative Greg Jolivette, who represented the district from 1997-2004.

In the 72^nd House District, Representative Bill Hayes (R-Granville) has filed to run for Licking County Prosecutor. Former Representative and House Speaker Larry Householder (R) has filed to run for the seat and will face a three-way primary challenge from Cliff Biggers (R) and Randal Almendinger (R). Mr. Biggers is president of the Coshocton City Council and previously worked for the Newark Police Department. Mr. Almendinger serves as a township trustee for St. Albans Township in Licking County. The primary winner will face Democrat John Carlisle in the general election.

In western Ohio, long-time legislator Jim Buchy (R-Greenville) chose to not run for another term. Senate President Keith Faber has filed to run for the 84^th District seat and move to the Ohio House of Representatives. He will face Democrat Ed Huff, Jr., in the general election in the Republican-leaning district.

In the 91^st House District, Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) is unopposed in his re-election bid.

Other

Former Representative and former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern has filed to run for Ottawa County Commissioner, a position he held from 1993-1999. Also running for the seat is Republican Mark Stahl.

In Franklin County, the race for Franklin County Prosecutor — the office that handles ethics issues referred by the Ohio Ethics Commission — includes current Prosecutor Ron O’Brien (R) and Zach Klein (D), who serves as a member of Columbus City Council. Bob Fitrakis is also running as a Green Party candidate.

Ohio House Minority Whip Kevin Boyce (D-Columbus), who currently represents the 25^th House District, did not file for reelection, instead throwing his hat in the ring for Franklin County Commissioner. He will challenge incumbent Paula Brooks (D) and Michael Mentel (D), former president of Columbus City Council, in the primary election. The winner will face Republican Terry Boyd in the general election. A four-way primary will take place in the 25^th District to replace Representative Boyce. Democrats Dontavius Jarrells, Bernadine Kennedy Kent, Jeffrey Mackey and Mayo Makinde have filed for that seat; the winner will face Republican Seth Golding in the general election.