No Red Wave in 2022 midterms? Tell that to Ohio

FPI / November 13, 2022

Politico: "The red wave that wasn't".

New York Times: "Five Takeaways From a Red Wave That Didn’t Reach the Shore".

NBC News: "Democrats avoid red wave".

Tell that to Ohio.

Republicans on Tuesday swept all statewide elective offices by large margins. Republicans also maintained their veto-proof majority in both chambers of the Ohio Legislature.

And, while the counting continues in other states, Ohio had its results confirmed and reported on election night.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Mike DeWine rolled to victory with 62% of the vote compared to just 37% for Democrat Nan Whaley.

“We’re people who get things done,” DeWine said in his victory speech. “We solve problems. We don’t whine about it, we just go solve it. We make things, we invent things, we do things – that’s the asset we have.”

In other Republican cakewalks:

• Attorney General Dave Yost won with 61% compared to 39% for Democrat Jeffrey Crossman.

• Auditor Keith Faber won with 59% compared to 41% for Democrat Taylor Sappington.

• Secretary of State Frank LaRose won with 60% compared to 39% for Democrat Chelsea Clark.

• Treasurer Robert Sprague won with 59% compared to 41% for Democrat Scott Schertzer.

In the elections to fill three seats on the state Supreme Court, it was a Republican sweep with all three GOP candidates trouncing their Democrat opponents by double digits.

In the race for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice, Republican Sharon Kennedy beat Democrat Jennifer Brunner by 12%.

Republican Pat Fischer beat Democrat Terri Jamison by 14% of the vote to retain his seat on the court.

Incumbent Republican Pat DeWine, son of Gov. Mike DeWine, kept his seat by beating Democrat Marilyn Zayas by 14%.

Two other Democratic justices, Melody Stewart and Michael P. Donnelly, weren’t up for re-election. But with Gov. DeWine poised to appoint an associate justice to replace Kennedy, the court is likely to have a 4-3 Republican majority.

Having conservatives in the majority in Ohio’s highest judicial body is seen as highly significant with major abortion-related legal cases on the horizon.

Two ballot initiatives were also approved by wide margins.

Ohio Issue 1, which sets rules for granting bail, won 77% of the vote.

Issue 1 amends the Ohio Constitution to require courts setting bail to consider public safety, the seriousness of the offense, a person's criminal record, the likelihood a person will return to court and other factors. It removes the state Supreme Court's role in setting procedures for bail.

Ohio Issue 2, which adds a requirement that voters be U.S. citizens also won 77% of the vote.

Issue 2 amends the Ohio Constitution to state that only U.S. citizens are entitled to vote in state or local elections.

In the U.S. Senate race, Trump-backed Republican J.D. Vance defeated a candidate in Rep. Tim Ryan who Democrats considered to be strong. Vance won 53% of the vote compared to 47% for Ryan.

Republicans won 10 of the 15 U.S. House of Representatives races.

Free Press International
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