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Ohio Attorney General election, 2010
The Ohio Attorney General election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democrat Richard Cordray was elected in a November 2008 special election to fill the unexpired term of Nancy Hardin Rogers. He sought election to a full four year term in 2010 but lost to his Republican challenger, former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine.
Marc Allan Feldman of the Libertarian Party and Robert M. Owens of the Constitution Party also ran.
General Election campaign
Candidates
Republican Party - Former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine
Democratic Party - Incumbent Richard Cordray
Libertarian Party - Cleveland physician Marc Allan Feldman
Constitution Party - Delaware, OH attorney Robert M. Owens
General election results
| Ohio Attorney General, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mike DeWine |
47.5% | 1,821,414 | |
| Democratic | Richard Cordray (D) | 46.3% | 1,772,728 | |
| Constitution | Robert Owens | 3.4% | 130,065 | |
| Libertarian | Marc Feldman | 2.8% | 107,521 | |
| Total Votes | 3,831,728 | |||
| Election results via Ohio Secretary of State | ||||
Debate
On Thursday, August 12th, the four candidates campaigning for the Office of State Attorney General - Republican Mike DeWine, Democratic incumbent Richard Cordray, Libertarian Marc Allan Feldman, and conservative Robert M. Owens - took part in a debate sponsored by the News-Herald and Lakeland Community College. The main topic of conversation was how the state attorney general could help improve the regulatory environment for small business in Ohio.
Endorsements
- Buckeye Firearm Association[1][2]
- Canton Police Patrolman’s Association[3]
- Cleveland Plain Dealer, local newspaper[4][5]
- Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association[3]
- Cincinnati Enquirer, local newspaper[6][7]
- Columbis Dispatch, local newspaper[8]
- Communications Workers of America (CWA)[9]
- NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio[10]
- Ohio AFL-CIO[11]
- Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)[12][13]
- Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association[3]
- Ohio Society of CPAs[14]
- SEIU District 1199[15]
- Toledo Police Command Officers Association[3]
- Toledo Police Patrolmen’s Association[3]
- Troopers for a Safer Ohio[3]
- Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (OCCPaC)[16][17]
- Ohio Right to Life[18]
- Ohio Veterans United
Robert Owens
Finances
According to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, as of September 8, 2010, the following was the breakdown of campaign finances for each of the candidates:
| Richard Cordray Campaign Finance Reports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | In-Kind [21] | Other Sources | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |
| August 1 - August 30, 2010[22] | September 3, 2010 | $3,513,787.78 | $429,040.70 | $63,467.85 | $15,224.56 | $0.00 | $3,958,053.04 | |
| June 5 - July 31, 2010[23] | August 4, 2010 | $3,011,845.71 | $498,690.56 | $54,459.29 | $3,251.51 | $0.00 | $3,513,787.78 | |
| April 15 - June 4, 2010[24] | June 11, 2010 | $2,251,130.83 | $759,170.24 | $20,418.66 | $2,343.75 | $799.11 | $3,011,845.71 | |
| Richard Michael DeWine Campaign Finance Reports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | In-Kind [21] | Other Sources | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |
| August 1 - August 30, 2010[25] | September 3, 2010 | $2,155,360.36 | $414,175.14 | $12,232.30 | $1,284.80 | $0.00 | $2,570,820.30 | |
| June 5 - July 31, 2010[26] | August 4, 2010 | $1,239,026.68 | $914,764.89 | $8,186.66 | $1,568.79 | $0.00 | $2,155,360.36 | |
| April 15 - June 4, 2010[27] | June 11, 2010 | $1,089,646.83 | $227,073.00 | $11,918.60 | $1,366.18 | $79,059.33 | $1,239,026.68 | |
Polling
Public Opinion Strategies Poll
Public Opinion Strategies interviewed 600 likely Ohio voters between July 21 and 22, 2010.
| Public Opinions Strategies Poll - July 21 - 22, 2010[28] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Mike DeWine (R)
|
48% | |||
| Richard Cordray (D) | 36% | |||
| Undecided | 16% | |||
| Total voters | 600 | |||
Survey USA 1st Poll
Survey USA, under contract with a local news station in Ohio, surveyed 905 registered voters about all the statewide races on the ballot in November; of these, 641 were deemed to be likely voters. Survey USA did not use live call center employees, but rather an automated system in which taped questions were asked via a professional announcer; the respondent was then invited to press a button on their phone or record a message indicating their selections.
| Survey USA Poll - September 10 - 13, 2010[29] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Mike DeWine (R)
|
47% | |||
| Richard Cordray (D) | 40% | |||
| Marc Allan Feldman (Libertarian) | 4% | |||
| Robert Owens (CP) | 4% | |||
| Undecided | 4% | |||
| Total voters | 641 | |||
Suffolk University Poll
| Suffolk University Poll - October 4 - 6, 2010[30] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Mike DeWine (R)
|
44% | |||
| Richard Cordray (D) | 38% | |||
| Marc Allan Feldman (Libertarian) | 2% | |||
| Robert Owens (CP) | 2% | |||
| Undecided | 13% | |||
| Total voters | 500 | |||
Survey USA 2nd Poll
Survey USA, under contract with a local news station in Ohio, surveyed 828 registered voters about all three of the major statewide races on the ballot in November; of these, 613 were deemed to be likely voters. Survey USA did not use live call center employees, but rather an automated system in which taped questions were asked via a professional announcer; the respondent was then invited to press a button on their phone or record a message indicating their selections.
| Survey USA Poll - October 22 - 26, 2010[31] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Mike DeWine (R)
|
46% | |||
| Richard Cordray (D) | 44% | |||
| Marc Allan Feldman (Libertarian) | 3% | |||
| Robert Owens (CP) | 3% | |||
| Undecided | 4% | |||
| Total voters | 613 | |||
May 4, 2010 primaries
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Incumbent Richard Cordray[32]
Electoral results
- Richard Cordray ran unopposed in this contest
Finances
According to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, as of April 22, 2010, the following was the breakdown of campaign finances for each of the candidates:
| Richard Cordray Campaign Finance Reports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | In-Kind [21] | Other Sources | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |
| January 1 - April 14, 2010[33] | April 22, 2010 | $2,525,085.39 | $491,519.12 | $38,422.55 | $10,324.77 | $775,798.45 | $2,251,130.83 | |
| July 1 - December 31, 2009[34] | January 29, 2010 | $2,005,506.71 | $516,792.26 | $8,264.12 | $85,263.50 | $82,477.08 | $2,525,085.39 | |
| June 4 - June 30, 2009[35] | July 31, 2009 | $1,112,788.78 | $1,011,160.57 | $73,138.29 | $15,011.78 | $133,454.40 | $2,005,506.71 | |
Republican primary
Candidates
- Former United States Senator Richard Michael DeWine[36]
Drop outs
- Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost announced in late-January 2010 that he would abandon his bid for the Republican nomination in the state's attorney general race and seek the nomination for state auditor instead.[37]
- Attorney Steve Christopher, founding member of the Hardin County Tea Party[38]
Electoral results
- Richard Michael DeWine ran unopposed in this contest
Finances
According to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, as of April 22, 2010, the following was the breakdown of campaign finances for each of the candidates:
| Richard Michael DeWine Campaign Finance Reports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | In-Kind [21] | Other Sources | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |
| January 1 - April 14, 2010[39] | April 22, 2010 | $1,040,089.41 | $160,930.00 | $11,193.51 | $2,260.06 | $113,632.64 | $1,089,646.83 | |
| July 1 - December 31, 2009[40] | January 29, 2010 | $39,500.00 | $779,510.81 | $25,509.26 | $500,589.45 | $279,510.85 | $1,040,089.41 | |
| June 4 - June 30, 2009[41] | July 31, 2009 | $0.00 | $39,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $39,500.00 | |
Noteworthy events
Candidate disqualification
Steve Christopher was disqualified from participating in the state's attorney general contest when Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner found that his campaign did not file enough valid signatures to make the ballot. Christopher's campaign said, "There's definitely an accountability issue here when 1,962 signatures simply disappear."[42]
In a letter to Chrisopher's attorney, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Rankin said, “There is no evidence that these part petitions were ever presented to the secretary of state’s office as part of Mr. Christopher’s filing on February 18, 2010.” Christopher began the process of suing the secretary of state over the potential signature miscount but did not pursue litigation after the filing deadline passed.[43]
Campaign finance
Robert Owens, the Constitution Party candidate for Attorney General, filed an ethics complaint against incumbent Richard Cordray on Thursday, September 30, 2010, for matters related to campaign finance laws.[44] Owens requested that the Ohio Elections Commission, an independent disciplinary agency that is responsible for most disciplinary matters under Ohio's campaign finance laws, investigate whether Cordray's transfer of over $750,000 from his 2008 campaign balance to state and county Democratic Party organizations was a coordinated violation of the state's "excess funds" law.[45] The law was intended to prevent the transfer of over $200,000 from one election cycle to the next.[46] On November 1, 2010, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Cordray had not violated campaign finance laws.[47]
Two county Republican Party organizations also filed formal complaints against Cordray. Both were withdrawn.[48]
Owens' ballot qualification
Constitution Party candidate Robert M. Owens was disqualified from participation in the state's attorney general race when Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner determined the candidate did not submit enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. The Franklin County Board of Elections deemed 385 out of the 547 signatures Owens had submitted invalid. Eleven days after the decision, Owens filed suit against Brunner's office claiming the board had improperly rejected valid signatures. In a 6-1 decision on March 31, 2010, the Ohio Supreme Court determined that Owens did submit enough valid signatures to qualify. Their ruling said, "We grant a writ of mandamus to compel the secretary of state to certify Owens’s name as a candidate for the Constitution Party nomination for the office of Ohio Attorney General and to instruct the boards of election to place Owens’s name on the May 4, 2010 primary-election ballot."[49]
See also
External links
- List of candidates certified to be on Ohio's May 4, 2010 primary election ballot
- Green Paper's list of candidates for Ohio Attorney General, 2010
General Election candidates
- Cordray for Ohio Attorney General Campaign website
- Mike DeWine for Attorney General Campaign website
- Owens for Ohio Attorney General Campaign website
- Marc Allan Feldman for Ohio Attorney General Campaign website
Former candidates
Footnotes
- ↑ Buckeye Firearm Association, "Buckeye Firearms Association endorses Richard Cordray for Ohio Attorney General" 21 July, 2010
- ↑ Ohio Daily, "More bad news for Mike DeWine" 21 July, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Glass City Jungle, "Every law enforcement group in State has endorsed Cordray" 26 Aug. 2010
- ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer, "The Plain Dealer endorses Richard Cordray for attorney general of Ohio: editorial" 6 Oct. 2010
- ↑ Ohio Daily, "Plain Dealer Endorses Cordray. Says of DeWine: "Sad to Watch"" 6 Oct. 2010
- ↑ Cincinnati Enquirer, "Early favorites: Statewide Races" 26 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Ohio Daily, "Cincy Enquirer Endorses Cordray, Pepper, Boyce" 26 Sept. 2010
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Endorsement: Cordray for attorney general" 13 Oct. 2010
- ↑ Communication Workers of America - Endorsements
- ↑ Progress Ohio, "NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Endorses Statewide Candidates" 1 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Ohio AFL-CIO - 2010 Endorsements
- ↑ WKSU News, "FOP splits endorsements among Democrats and Republicans" 20 July, 2010
- ↑ Plunderbund, "Ohio Fraternal Order of Police endorse Strickland, Portman(?), Cordray, Boyce & O’Shaughnessy" 20 July, 2010
- ↑ Ohio Society of CPAs - OSCPA announces 2010 general election candidate endorsements
- ↑ SEIU District 1199 "Ohio Endorsements by SEIU District 1199" 27 Sept. 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ Ohio Republican Party, "Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee Endorses Kasich, Husted and DeWine" 23 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Capital Blog, "Chamber endorses Kasich, Husted, DeWine" 23 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Life News, "Ohio Pro-Life Group Issues 2010 Election Endorsements, Backs Portman, Kasich" 17 May, 2010
- ↑ Independent Political Report, "Constitution Party Candidate Robert Owens Endorsed by Family First PAC" 21 Aug. 2010
- ↑ Campaign for Liberty, "Ohio Tea Party PAC Endorses Robert Owens for Ohio Attorney General" 28 Sept. 2010
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 As these are not cash contributions, they are not reflected in the reported ending balance.
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Richard Cordray August 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Richard Cordray July 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Richard Cordray 2010 Post-Primary Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Mike DeWine August 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Mike DeWine July 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Mike DeWine 2010 Post-Primary Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Public Opinion Strategies, "Poll Summary - Ohio Attorney General Race" 9 Aug. 2010
- ↑ Survey USA "Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #17045" 14 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Suffolk University, "Republicans Leading for U.S. Senator and Governor" 7 Oct. 2010
- ↑ Survey USA "Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #17045" 27 Oct. 2010
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Cordray queues up" 15 Feb. 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Richard Cordray 2010 Pre-Primary Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Richard Cordray 2009 Annual (January) Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Richard Cordray 2009 Semi-Annual (July) Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Springfield News-Sun, "DeWine launches bid for attorney general" 22 July, 2009
- ↑ Cleveland Live, "Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost leaves Ohio attorney general race for auditor's race" 25 Jan. 2010
- ↑ Dayton Daily News, "Tea Party names candidate to battle DeWine for GOP nomination" 8 Feb. 2010
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Mike DeWine 2010 Pre-Primary Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Mike DeWine 2009 Annual (January) Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State - Mike DeWine 2009 Semi-Annual (July) Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "2 dispute ballot disqualification," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "UPDATED: AG candidate fighting his disqualification," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ Ron Paul Forums, "Ohio: Robert Owens Files Ethics Complaint Against Democrat AG Richard Cordray" 1 Oct. 2010
- ↑ Right Ohio, "Rich Cordray’s Shady Money Laundering" 18 July, 2010
- ↑ Springfield News-Sun, "Cordray faces ethics complaint on campaign funds," accessed May3, 2024
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Cordray survives ballot challenge," accessed May 3, 2024
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Complaints in statewide races pulled, thrown out," September 4, 2010
- ↑ [chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2010/2010-ohio-1374.pdf Supremecourt.ohio.gov, "State ex rel. Owens v. Brunner, 125 Ohio St.3d 130, 2010-Ohio-1374," accessed May 3, 2024]
