2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the 16 U.S. Representatives from the state of Ohio, a loss of two seats following the 2010 United States Census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate.
Overview
Redistricting
The redistricting process was formally begun by a legislative panel on June 16, 2011. A proposal released in September 2011 would create 12 districts favoring Republicans and four which favored Democrats. In the proposal, one district which favored Republicans would be effectively eliminated, and the homes of six of the state's incumbents would be drawn into districts also containing the homes of other incumbents. The map was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on September 15 and by the Ohio Senate on September 21. The bill passed by the Senate included an appropriations provision intended to prevent the bill from being placed on the 2012 ballot by petition and was passed again by the House the same day. Governor John Kasich signed the bill into law on September 26.On September 28, the Ohio Democratic Party had filed suit in the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking a ruling on the legality of the Senate's addition of an appropriations provision. On October 14, the Supreme Court ruled that a referendum on the map could go ahead. Ohioans for Fair Districts, the group calling for a referendum, asked the court to restart the 90-day time limit for the collection of signatures; a request the court declined, meaning the 90-day period would begin on September 26 rather than October 14. Chris Redfern, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, vowed to collect enough signatures to place the map on the ballot.
If the map had received 66 votes in the House of Representatives, an emergency clause preventing a referendum from being held would have been invoked. As a result, in October 2011 Republicans sought the support of African American Democrats for an alternative map. Later that month members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus met with Redfern, indicating they would not immediately seek to compromise with Republicans; however on October 31 Bob Bennett, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party appointed by House Speaker William G. Batchelder to negotiate an alternative map, said he thought the two parties were close to reaching an agreement.
On November 3, Batchelder brought a slightly modified map to the floor of the House of Representatives. However, the House fell eight votes short of the 66 needed to bring the map up for a vote without a committee hearing having been held.
Later in November, Ohio Democratic Party communications director Seth Bringman said the referendum effort had surpassed 100,000 signatures and aimed to have collected the over 230,000 signatures necessary by December 23. However, a lack of funds prevented Ohioans for Fair Districts from hiring professional signature gatherers and necessitated the exclusive use of volunteers. Redfern said in December 2011 that Democrats might return to the Supreme Court to request that it reconsider its decision on the 90-day time limit. If the signature-gathering effort had failed, an amendment to the Ohio Constitution requiring compact and competitive districts could have been sought. If the Democratic Party failed to collect enough signatures, the original map would have taken effect on Christmas Day 2011.
On December 14, 2011, the House of Representatives and Senate both passed a new map, effectively resolving the situation.
District 1
has been represented by Republican Steve Chabot, who previously served from 1995 until 2009, since January 2011. Chabot sought and won re-election in 2012.Jeff Sinnard defeated Malcolm Kantzler by a scant 56 votes for the Democratic nomination. This was Kantzler's first run for public office, while Sinnard unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in the 2nd district in 2005 and 2006. State representative Connie Pillich, who had considered seeking the Democratic nomination in either the 1st or 2nd district, did not run.
Rich Stevenson ran as the Green Party nominee. Jim Berns defeated Queen Noble for the Libertarian Party nomination.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 2
Republican Jean Schmidt represented Ohio's 2nd congressional district from 2005 until January 3, 2013. Brad Wenstrup, a podiatrist and U.S. Army veteran who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Cincinnati in 2009; Tony Brush; Joe Green, who ran as a write-in candidate; Fred Kundrata; and Schmidt sought the Republican nomination. Wenstrup upset Schmidt to win the nomination.William R. Smith won the Democratic primary against David Krikorian, who challenged Schmidt in 2008 and 2010. Krikorian said in October 2011 that if he did not receive the support of the Democratic Party he would run as an independent candidate but did not. State representative Connie Pillich, who had considered seeking the Democratic nomination in either the 1st or 2nd district, did not run.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 3
The new 3rd district is based in Columbus. Joyce Beatty, a vice president of the Ohio State University and former minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives, won the Democratic nomination. She defeated state representative Ted Celeste; former U.S. Representative Mary Jo Kilroy, who represented the 15th district from 2009 until January 2011; and Columbus city council member Priscilla R. Tyson Michael Coleman, the mayor of Columbus, did not run.Chris Long, a member of the Reynoldsburg city council, won the Republican nomination.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 4
Republican Jim Jordan has represented Ohio's 4th congressional district since 2007. Jordan sought re-election in 2012.Jim Slone, a former General Motors employee, won the Democratic nomination without opposition.
Chris Kalla ran as the Libertarian Party nominee.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 5
Republican Bob Latta, who has represented Ohio's 5th congressional district since 2007, sought re-election in 2012. He defeated Robert Wallis in the Republican primary.Angela Zimmann won the Democratic nomination without opposition.
Eric Eberly ran as the Libertarian Party nominee.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 6
Republican Bill Johnson, who has represented Ohio's 6th congressional district since January 2011, sought re-election in 2012. He defeated Victor Smith in the Republican primary.Former U.S. Representative Charlie Wilson won the Democratic nomination. He previously represented the 6th district from 2007 until 2011. Wilson defeated Cas Adulewicz. John Boccieri, who represented the 16th district from 2009 until 2011, did not run.
Primary results
General election
Polling
Results
District 7
Republican Bob Gibbs, who has represented Ohio's 18th congressional district since January 2011, won the Republican nomination in the new 7th district. He defeated pastor Hombre Liggett.Joyce R. Healy-Abrams, the sister of Canton mayor William J. Healy II, won the Democratic nomination. Joseph Liolios had also planned to run, but failed to refile after the Ohio General Assembly modified some districts' boundaries and moved the date of the primary. John Boccieri, who represented the 16th district from 2009 until 2011, will not run. Political consultant Bill Burges suggested in September 2011 that Democratic U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, who has represented the 13th district since 2007, may seek re-election in the 7th district; however in December 2011 she announced plans to run in the 16th district.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 8
has been represented by Republican John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, since 1991. Boehner sought re-election in 2012. David Lewis, a pro-life and Tea Party activist, unsuccessfully challenged Boehner in the Republican primary.No Democrat filed to challenge Boehner.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 9
Democratic U.S. Representatives Marcy Kaptur, who has represented Ohio's 9th congressional district since 1983; and Dennis Kucinich, who represented Ohio's 10th congressional district from 1997 until January 3, 2013 and had considered seeking re-election in Washington or in the 11th district, sought re-election in the 9th district. Graham Veysey, who runs a video production company, also sought the Democratic nomination. Kaptur defeated Kucinich and Veysey in the primary.Steven Kraus, an auctioneer, and Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher both sought the Republican nomination; Wurzelbacher won. Both Democratic and Republican primaries were held on March 6, 2012.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 10
Republican U.S. Representative Mike Turner, who has represented Ohio's 3rd congressional district since 2003, sought re-election in the new 10th district in 2012. John D. Anderson and Edward Breen also unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination. Steve Austria, who is also a Republican and has represented the 7th district since 2009, had also been expected to run, but announced in December 2011 that he would retire rather than seek re-election.Six candidates qualified for the ballot in the Democratic primary. Sharen Neuhardt won the March primary with a plurality of 36% of the vote. She is an attorney and was the 2008 nominee for congress in Ohio's 7th congressional district, held by Republican Steve Austria. He defeated her 58%-42% in a district McCain won 54%-45%. She underperformed Obama three points. However, this district McCain won 50%-49%.
David Harlow is the Libertarian nominee.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 11
has been represented by Democrat Marcia Fudge since 2008. Fudge sought re-election in 2012. Gerald Henley, a former member of the Cleveland school board who unsuccessfully ran for the Cuyahoga County Council as an independent in 2010; Marie Jefferson; and Isaac Powell, who unsuccessfully challenged Fudge in the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination. U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich, who has represented the 10th district since 1997 and had considered seeking re-election in the 11th district, instead ran in the 9th district; while state senator Nina Turner, who had planned to challenge Fudge in the Democratic primary, announced in December 2011 that she would not run. Turner considered run as an independent candidate, but instead elected to remain in the State Senate.Primary results
General election
Results
District 12
has been represented by Republican Pat Tiberi since 2001. Tiberi sought re-election in 2012. He defeated William Yarbrough to win the Republican nomination.Doug Litt, who is employed by Spherion Staffing at Gorman-Rupp and unsuccessfully ran for Congress in the 4th district in 2010; and James Reese sought the Democratic nomination. Reese won the nomination with nearly 70% of the vote.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 13
Democrat Betty Sutton, who has represented Ohio's 13th congressional district since 2007, sought re-election in the new 16th district in 2012. Tim Ryan, who has represented the now-defunct 17th district since 2003, ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the new 13th district. John Stephen Luchansky and Lisa Regula Meyer had also filed to seek the Democratic nomination, however both failed to refile after the Ohio General Assembly modified some districts' boundaries and moved the date of the primary.Pediatrician Marisha Agana ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 14
Republican Steve LaTourette, who had represented Ohio's 14th congressional district since 1995, was expected to seek re-election, but announced on July 31, 2012 that he was retiring at the end of the term. He officially withdrew from the ballot on August 8, allowing the party chairmen from the seven counties in the district to select a replacement nominee.Geauga County Prosecutor David Joyce was chosen as the Republican nominee. Other possible replacements that had been mentioned include Willoughby-Eastlake School Board member Paul Brickner; former state Senator Kevin Coughlin; Lake County Judge Vince Culotta; former state Representative Matt Dolan; former state Senator Tim Grendell; state Senator Frank LaRose; Cuyahoga County Councilman Jack Schron; and, state Representative Ron Young.
Dale Virgil Blanchard, an accountant and perennial candidate, received the Democratic nomination unopposed.
Elaine Mastromatteo ran as the Green Party nominee. David Macko ran as the Libertarian Party nominee.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 15
Republican Steve Stivers, who has represented Ohio's 15th congressional district since January 2011, sought re-election in 2012. Ralph Applegate and Charles Chope also unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination.Pat Lang, the Athens city law director, defeated Scott Wharton, a farmer and pilot to win the Democratic nomination.
Primary results
General election
Results
District 16
has been represented by Republican Jim Renacci since January 2011. Renacci sought re-election 2012.Democratic U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, who had represented the 13th district since 2007, ran in the new 16th district in 2012. Former U.S. Representative John Boccieri, a Democrat who represented the district from 2009 until 2011, did not run.
Jeffrey Blevins, a restaurant manager who unsuccessfully ran as the Libertarian Party nominee in 2010, ran again but withdrew on August 23, 2012.