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 Statewide PartyCandidatesVotesSeats %+/– % Republican 15 2,620,233 50.96 12 1 75.00 Democratic 15 2,412,385 46.91 4 1 25.00 Libertarian 7 81,469 1.58 0 0.00 Green 3 26,070 0.51 0 0.00 Write-in 5 1,969 0.04 0 0.00Total 45 5,142,126 100.0 16 2 100.0
District Results of the 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio by district:
DistrictRepublicanDemocraticOthersTotalResult Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %District 1 201,907 57.73% 131,490 37.60% 16,319 4.67% 349,716 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 2 194,296 58.63% 137,077 41.37% 0 0.00% 331,373 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 3 77,901 26.35% 201,897 68.29% 15,855 5.36% 295,652 100.00% Democratic gainDistrict 4 182,643 58.35% 114,214 36.49% 16,141 5.16% 312,998 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 5 201,514 57.27% 137,806 39.16% 12,558 3.57% 351,878 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 6 164,536 53.25% 144,444 46.75% 0 0.00% 308,980 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 7 178,104 56.40% 137,708 43.60% 0 0.00% 315,812 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 8 246,378 99.88% 0 0.00% 1,938 0.12% 248,316 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 9 68,668 23.03% 217,771 73.04% 11,725 3.93% 298,164 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 10 208,201 59.54% 131,097 37.49% 10,373 2.97% 349,671 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 11 0 0.00% 258,359 100.00% 0 0.00% 258,359 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 12 233,869 63.47% 134,605 36.53% 0 0.00% 368,474 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 13 88,120 27.23% 235,492 72.77% 0 0.00% 323,612 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 14 183,657 54.03% 131,637 38.73% 24,602 7.24% 339,894 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 15 205,274 61.56% 128,188 38.44% 0 0.00% 333,462 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 16 185,165 52.05% 170,600 47.95% 0 0.00% 355,765 100.00% Republican holdTotal 2,620,233 50.96% 2,412,385 46.91% 2.13% 5,142,126 100.00%
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 favoring 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 Ohio's 1st congressional district is based in Cincinnati, stretching southwestward to Ohio's borders with Kentucky and Indiana. After redistricting, it lost parts of Hamilton County and gained strongly republican Warren Country. This turned it from a district that was 1 percentage point more Democratic than the national average, to one that was 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. It had been represented by Republican Steve Chabot, who previously served from 1995 until 2009, since January 2011. He sought re-election in 2012.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Steve Chabot, incumbent U.S. representative
Primary results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Jeff Sinnard, engineering consultant and candidate for Ohio's 2nd congressional district in 2005 and 2006
Eliminated in primary Malcolm Kantzler, businessman
Withdrew Eric Wilson
Declined Steve Driehaus, former U.S. representative Mark Mallory, mayor of Cincinnati Connie Pillich, state representative
Primary results
Jeff Sinnard defeated Malcolm Kantzler by a scant 56 votes for the Democratic nomination (the reference footnote provides only the unofficial, election night final tally).
Libertarian primary Candidates Nominee Jim Berns, former chair of Hamilton County Libertarian Party and nominee for this district in 2010
Eliminated in primary Queen Noble, business owner
Primary results
Green primary Candidates Nominee Rich Stevenson, political writer, activist and nominee for this district in 2010
Primary results
General election Campaign The Sinnard campaign was criticized for its lack of active campaigning and for not even having a campaign website. Sinnard subsequently admitted he was just doing the party a favor by putting his name on the ballot.
Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call, November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal BallCrystal Ball , November 5, 2012 NY TimesHouse Race Ratings, The New York Times, November 4, 2012RCP, November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 2
Republican Jean Schmidt had represented Ohio's 2nd congressional district since 2005.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Brad Wenstrup, podiatrist, U.S. Army veteran and candidate for mayor of Cincinnati in 2009
Eliminated in primary Tony Brush, businessman Fred Kundrata, Air Force veteran Jean Schmidt, incumbent U.S. representative
Disqualified Joe Green, businessman (ran as a write-in candidate)
Primary results
Wenstrup upset Schmidt to win the nomination.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee William R. Smith, truck driver
Eliminated in primary David Krikorian, businessman and candidate for this seat in 2008 and 2010
Declined Connie Pillich, state representative
Primary results
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 he did not.
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 3
The new 3rd district is based in Columbus. Redistricting placed most of the heavily Democratic portions of Columbus into the 3rd, with much of the rest of Columbus split into the more Republican 12th and 15th districts.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Joyce Beatty, vice president of Ohio State University and former minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives
Eliminated in primary Ted Celeste, state representative Mary Jo Kilroy, former U.S. representative Priscilla R. Tyson, Columbus city council member
Declined Kevin Boyce, former state treasurer Paula Brooks, member of Franklin County Board of Commissioners, nominee for the 12th district in 2010 Jennifer Brunner, former Ohio secretary of state John Patrick Carney, state representative Michael Coleman, mayor of Columbus Nancy Garland, state representative Andrew Ginther, president of the Columbus City Council Zach Klein, member of the Columbus City Council John O'Grady, Franklin County commissioner Charleta Tavares, state senator
Primary results
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Chris Long, member of the Reynoldsburg city council
Eliminated in primary John Adams, manufacturing company owner
Primary results
Libertarian primary Candidates Nominee Richard Ehrbar
Primary results
Green primary Candidates Nominee Bob Fitrakis, professor
Primary results
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 4 Republican Jim Jordan had represented Ohio's 4th congressional district since 2007. He sought re-election in 2012.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Jim Jordan, incumbent U.S. representative
Primary results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Jim Slone, former General Motors employee
Primary results
Libertarian primary Candidates Nominee Chris Kalla
Primary results
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 5
Republican Bob Latta, who had represented Ohio's 5th congressional district since 2007, sought re-election in 2012. He defeated Robert Wallis in the Republican primary.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Bob Latta, incumbent U.S. representative
Eliminated in primary Robert Wallis, business owner and candidate for this seat in 2010
Primary results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Angela Zimmann, pastor and professor
Primary results
Libertarian primary Candidates Nominee Eric Eberly
Primary results
General election Endorsements
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 5, 2012 Rothenberg November 2, 2012 Roll Call November 4, 2012 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2012 NY Times November 4, 2012RCP November 4, 2012The Hill November 4, 2012
Results
District 6