Ohio state executive official elections, 2018

	2022 → ← 2014
Ohio state executive official elections
Election details
	Filing deadline: February 7, 2018
	Primary: May 8, 2018; General: November 6, 2018
How to vote
	Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Voting in Ohio
Ballotpedia analysis
	Federal and state primary competitiveness; State executive elections in 2018; Impact of term limits in 2018; State government trifectas and triplexes
Other state executive elections
	Select a state:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew MexicoNew YorkNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontWisconsinWyomingSubmit

The following state executive offices were up for election in Ohio in 2018. Click on the following links to learn more about each race:

Governor
Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Auditor
State board of education

Candidates and election results

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Ohio on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Michael DeWine (R)	50.4	2,231,917
		Richard Cordray (D)	46.7	2,067,847
		Travis Irvine (L)	1.8	79,985
		Constance Gadell-Newton (G)	1.1	49,475
		Renea Turner (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	185
		Richard Duncan (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	132
	Submit photo	Rebecca Ayres (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	41

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,429,582 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Collin Hill (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Cordray	62.2	428,159
		Dennis Kucinich	23.0	158,284
		Joseph Schiavoni	9.2	63,131
		William O'Neill	3.3	22,667
	Submit photo	Paul Ray	1.4	9,536
	Submit photo	Larry Ealy	1.0	7,011

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 688,788
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Connie Pillich (D)
Jonathan Heavey (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Ohio

Richard Michael DeWine defeated Mary Taylor in the Republican primary for Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Richard Michael DeWine	59.8	499,639
	Mary Taylor	40.2	335,328

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 834,967
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Jim Renacci (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Governor of Ohio

Constance Gadell-Newton advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Constance Gadell-Newton	100.0	3,031

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 3,031
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Lieutenant governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jon Husted (R)	50.4	2,231,917
		Betty Sutton (D)	46.7	2,067,847
		Todd Grayson (L)	1.8	79,985
		Brett Joseph (G)	1.1	49,475
	Submit photo	Keith Colton (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	185
	Submit photo	Anthony Durgans (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	132
	Submit photo	Dennis Artino (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	41

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,429,582
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Scott Schertzer (D)
Ian Tumey (Independent)
Adam Hudak (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Betty Sutton	62.2	428,159
	Submit photo	Tara Samples	23.0	158,284
		Stephanie Dodd	9.2	63,131
	Submit photo	Chantelle Lewis	3.3	22,667
	Submit photo	Jerry Schroeder	1.4	9,536
	Submit photo	Jeffrey Lynn	1.0	7,011

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 688,788
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Jon Husted defeated Nathan Estruth in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jon Husted	59.8	499,639
	Submit photo	Nathan Estruth	40.2	335,328

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 834,967
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Amy Murray (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Brett Joseph advanced from the Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brett Joseph	100.0	3,031

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 3,031
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Attorney general

General election

General election for Attorney General of Ohio

Dave Yost defeated Steven Dettelbach in the general election for Attorney General of Ohio on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Dave Yost (R)	52.2	2,272,440
	Steven Dettelbach (D)	47.8	2,084,593

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,357,033 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Ohio

Steven Dettelbach advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steven Dettelbach	100.0	510,741

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 510,741
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Ohio

Dave Yost advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dave Yost	100.0	642,717

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 642,717
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Secretary of state

General election

General election for Ohio Secretary of State

Frank LaRose defeated Kathleen Clyde and Dustin Nanna in the general election for Ohio Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Frank LaRose (R)	50.7	2,210,356
	Kathleen Clyde (D)	47.0	2,049,944
	Dustin Nanna (L)	2.4	103,392

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,363,692 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Secretary of State

Kathleen Clyde advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Secretary of State on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathleen Clyde	100.0	514,959

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 514,959
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Secretary of State

Frank LaRose advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Secretary of State on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Frank LaRose	100.0	606,697

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 606,697
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Dorothy Pelanda (R)

Treasurer

General election

General election for Ohio Treasurer

Robert Sprague defeated Rob Richardson in the general election for Ohio Treasurer on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Robert Sprague (R)	53.3	2,304,444
	Rob Richardson (D)	46.7	2,022,016

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,326,460
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Treasurer

Rob Richardson advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Treasurer on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rob Richardson	100.0	500,640

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 500,640
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Neil Patel (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Treasurer

Robert Sprague defeated Sandra O'Brien in the Republican primary for Ohio Treasurer on May 8, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Robert Sprague	57.5	412,312
	Sandra O'Brien	42.5	304,540

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 716,852
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Auditor

General election

General election for Ohio Auditor of State

Keith Faber defeated Zack Space and Robert Coogan in the general election for Ohio Auditor of State on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keith Faber (R)	49.7	2,152,769
		Zack Space (D)	46.3	2,006,204
	Submit photo	Robert Coogan (L)	4.1	175,790

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,334,763 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Auditor of State

Zack Space advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Auditor of State on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Zack Space	100.0	508,131

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 508,131
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Kelli Prather (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Auditor of State

Keith Faber advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Auditor of State on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keith Faber	100.0	611,729

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 611,729
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

State board of education

District 2

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 2

The following candidates ran in the general election for Ohio State Board of Education District 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kirsten Hill (Nonpartisan)	17.8	47,424
	Submit photo	Jeanine Donaldson (Nonpartisan)	17.4	46,341
		Sue Larimer (Nonpartisan)	16.1	42,867
		Annette Shine (Nonpartisan)	13.5	35,960
		Vicki Donovan-Lyle (Nonpartisan)	13.1	34,981
	Submit photo	Charles Froehlich (Nonpartisan)	11.6	30,864
	Submit photo	W. Roger Knight (Nonpartisan)	10.6	28,341

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 266,778 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District 3

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 3

Incumbent Charlotte McGuire defeated Dawn Wojcik and Matthew McGowan in the general election for Ohio State Board of Education District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlotte McGuire (Nonpartisan)	42.5	130,512
		Dawn Wojcik (Nonpartisan)	29.7	91,136
	Submit photo	Matthew McGowan (Nonpartisan)	27.9	85,673

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 307,321
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District 4

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 4

Jenny Kilgore defeated incumbent Pat Bruns in the general election for Ohio State Board of Education District 4 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jenny Kilgore (Nonpartisan)	50.4	179,765
	Pat Bruns (Nonpartisan)	49.6	176,894

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 356,659
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District 7

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 7

Incumbent Sarah Fowler won election in the general election for Ohio State Board of Education District 7 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Fowler (Nonpartisan)	100.0	259,997

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 259,997
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District 8

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 8

John Hagan defeated Kathleen Purdy and Melissa Dahman in the general election for Ohio State Board of Education District 8 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Hagan (Nonpartisan)	42.0	128,854
	Submit photo	Kathleen Purdy (Nonpartisan)	33.2	101,706
	Submit photo	Melissa Dahman (Nonpartisan)	24.8	76,104

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 306,664
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Context of the 2018 election

Party control in Ohio

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Ohio gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2010 elections by taking control of the state House and governorship.

Ohio Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Ohio utilizes an open primary system. In an open primary system, a voter does not have to register with a political party beforehand in order to vote in that party's primary. In Ohio, voters select their preferred party primary ballots at their polling places on Election Day.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Ohio, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Voters who are in line at 7:30 p.m. are permitted to vote.^[5]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Ohio, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Individuals who are incarcerated for a felony conviction, have been declared by a court to be incompetent for voting purposes, or have been permanently disenfranchised may not register to vote.^[6]

Applicants may register to vote online, in person, or by mail. The Ohio Voter Registration and Information Update Form is available online and can be requested by mail. In-person voter registration is available at various locations including the secretary of state and board of elections offices, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries and high schools, and other state agencies. A full list of locations is available here.

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the next election. An Ohio driver’s license number, state ID card number, or the last four digits of a SSN is required in order to register to vote or update a voter registration.^[7]^[8]

Automatic registration

Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration.^[9]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Ohio has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Ohio does not allow same-day voter registration.^[9]

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election.^[9]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Ohio does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "whoever commits election falsification is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree."^[10]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.^[11] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Ohio requires voters to present photo identification while voting.^[12]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Ohio Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Ohio driver's license;
State of Ohio ID card;
Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
A US passport;
A US passport card;
US military ID card;
Ohio National Guard ID card; or
US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have the following:

An expiration date that has not passed;
A photograph of the voter;
The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book^[13]

”

Early voting

Ohio permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Ohio. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.^[14]

Absentee ballots may be requested for each individual election beginning on January 1, or 90 days before the date of an election, whichever is earlier. The request must be received by the local county board of elections by the close of business on the seventh day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be postmarked at least one day before Election Day and received by the elections board no later than 4 days after the election.^[14]^[15]

Impact of term limits

See also: Impact of term limits on state executive elections in 2018

Eleven state executive seats in Ohio were up for election in 2018. In the 2018 elections, six officials were ineligible to run because of term limits. The following state officials were term-limited in 2018:

Republicans (6):

Governor: John Kasich
Lt Gov. Mary Taylor
Attorney General: Mike DeWine
Secretary of State: Jon Husted
Treasurer: Josh Mandel
Auditor: Dave Yost

Of the 283 state executives offices on the ballot in 2018, 131 of them were represented by incumbents who were subject to term limits. Of the 36 gubernatorial seats up for election in 2018, 13 governors—two Democrats and 11 Republicans—were term-limited and therefore unable to run for re-election. Of the 31 states with term limits that held state executives elections in 2018, some incumbents in 18 of the states were term-limited.

A total of 49 state executive officials were ineligible to run in the 2018 elections because of term limits. This represented 17 percent of the 283 total seats up for election in 2018.^[16] Republicans had more than six times as many state executive officials term-limited in 2018 than Democrats. A total of seven Democrats were term-limited, while 40 Republicans were term-limited. The other two term-limited officials were nonpartisan.

Past elections

2016

There were no state executive elections in Ohio in 2016.

2014

The following elections took place in 2014.

2012

There were no state executive elections in Ohio in 2012.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Ohio state executive election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Ohio state executive official elections, 2018 - Google News

State profile

Demographic data for Ohio
	Ohio	U.S.
Total population:	11,605,090	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	40,861	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	82.4%	73.6%
Black/African American:	12.2%	12.6%
Asian:	1.9%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	3.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.1%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	26.1%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$49,429	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.6%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Ohio. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Ohio

Ohio voted Republican in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, nine are located in Ohio, accounting for 4.37 percent of the total pivot counties.^[17]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Ohio had eight Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Ohio coverage on Ballotpedia

External links

Suggest a link

State of Ohio official website

Footnotes

↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
↑ LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules, "3501.01 Election procedure - election officials definitions.," accessed October 25, 2019
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Election Day Voting,” accessed April 12, 2023
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Voter Eligibility & Residency Requirements,” accessed April 12, 2023
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Register to Vote and Update Your Registration,” accessed April 6, 2023
↑ Democracy Docket, “Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law,” January 6, 2023
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 7, 2024
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Voter Registration and Information Update Form," accessed November 2, 2024
↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Identification requirements," accessed Aprl 6, 2023
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Voting Absentee by Mail," accessed April 6, 2023
↑ Democracy Docket, "Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law," January 6, 2023
↑ Some of the 49 state executive officials in 2018 may have resigned before their term ended. These state executive officials were still counted in the total number of term-limited state executives in 2018.
↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

[1] National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019

[2] FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019

[3] Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.

[4] LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules, "3501.01 Election procedure - election officials definitions.," accessed October 25, 2019

[5] Ohio Secretary of State, “Election Day Voting,” accessed April 12, 2023

[OHSoS-6] Ohio Secretary of State, “Voter Eligibility & Residency Requirements,” accessed April 12, 2023

[7] Ohio Secretary of State, “Register to Vote and Update Your Registration,” accessed April 6, 2023

[8] Democracy Docket, “Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law,” January 6, 2023

[ncsl-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 7, 2024

[10] Ohio Secretary of State, "Voter Registration and Information Update Form," accessed November 2, 2024

[11] Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."

[12] Ohio Secretary of State, "Identification requirements," accessed Aprl 6, 2023

[quotedisclaimer-13] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[absenteeOH-14] 14.0 ^14.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Voting Absentee by Mail," accessed April 6, 2023

[demdoc-15] Democracy Docket, "Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law," January 6, 2023

[16] Some of the 49 state executive officials in 2018 may have resigned before their term ended. These state executive officials were still counted in the total number of term-limited state executives in 2018.

[17] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

Ohio	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis

Ohio State Executive Offices Ohio State Legislature Ohio Courts	2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Ohio elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016	Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

	v • e State of Ohio Columbus (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy