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2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio

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2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio

← 2006 November 4, 2008 (2008-11-04) 2010 →

All 18 Ohio seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Last election 7 11
Seats won 10 8
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 3
Popular vote 2,752,111 2,491,498
Percentage 51.21% 46.36%
Swing Decrease 1.34% Decrease 0.86%

The 2008 congressional elections in Ohio were held on November 4, 2008, and determined who would represent the state of Ohio in the United States House of Representatives. The primary election was held on March 4, 2008.

Ohio had eighteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected in November 2008 served in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. The election coincided with the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Districts 1, 15, and 16 changed party (from Republican to Democratic), although CQ Politics had forecasted districts 1, 2, 14, 15, 16 and 18 to be at some risk for the incumbent party. District 15 was not decided until December 8, 2008.[1] As of 2024, this is the last time that Democrats won both a majority of congressional districts and the House popular vote in the state.

Overview

[edit]
United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio, 2008[2]
Party Votes Percentage Seats before Seats after +/–
Democratic 2,752,111 51.21% 7 10 +3
Republican 2,491,498 46.36% 11 8 -3
Libertarian 44,902 0.84% 0 0 -
Green 13,812 0.26% 0 0 -
Independent 72,017 1.34% 0 0 -
Totals 5,374,340 100% 18 18

Match-up summary

[edit]
District Incumbent 2008 status Democratic Republican Green Libertarian Ind Ind Ind
1 Steve Chabot Re-election Steve Driehaus Steve Chabot Rich Stevenson (WI) Eric Wilson (WI)
2 Jean Schmidt Re-election Victoria Wulsin Jean Schmidt David Krikorian James Condit (WI)
3 Mike Turner Re-election Jane Mitakides Mike Turner
4 Jim Jordan Re-election Mike Carroll Jim Jordan
5 Bob Latta Re-election George Mays Bob Latta
6 Charlie Wilson Re-election Charlie Wilson Richard Stobbs Dennis Spisak
7 David Hobson Open Sharen Neuhardt Steve Austria
8 John Boehner Re-election Nicholas Von Stein John Boehner
9 Marcy Kaptur Re-election Marcy Kaptur Bradley Leavitt
10 Dennis Kucinich Re-election Dennis Kucinich Jim Trakas Paul Conroy
11 Marcia L. Fudge Re-election Marcia L. Fudge Thomas Pekarek Craig Willis (WI) Eric Johnson (WI) Robert Reed (WI)
12 Pat Tiberi Re-election David Robinson Pat Tiberi Steve Linnabary
13 Betty Sutton Re-election Betty Sutton David Potter Robert Crow (WI)
14 Steve LaTourette Re-election Bill O'Neill Steve LaTourette David Macko
15 Deborah Pryce Open Mary Jo Kilroy Steve Stivers Mark M. Noble Don Elijah Eckhart Travis Casper
16 Ralph Regula Open John Boccieri Kirk Schuring
17 Tim Ryan Re-election Tim Ryan Duane Grassell
18 Zack Space Re-election Zack Space Fred Dailey

District 1

[edit]

Democratic nominee Steve Driehaus won against Republican incumbent Steve Chabot. CQ Politics rated the race as 'No Clear Favorite'. Driehaus lost re-election to Chabot in 2010, who was re-elected 5 more times before losing re-election again in 2022.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 1st Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steve Driehaus 155,089 52.5
Republican Steve Chabot (Incumbent) 140,469 47.5
Total votes 295,558 100
Democratic gain from Republican

District 2

[edit]

Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt won against Democratic nominee Victoria Wulsin and Independent candidate David Krikorian. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Republican'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 2nd Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jean Schmidt (Incumbent) 148,671 44.8
Democratic Victoria Wells Wulsin 124,213 37.4
Independent David Krikorian 58,710 17.7
Total votes 331,594 100
Republican hold

District 3

[edit]

Republican incumbent Mike Turner won against Democratic nominee Jane Mitakides. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 3rd Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Turner (Incumbent) 200,204 63.3
Democratic Jane Mitakides 115,976 36.7
Total votes 316,180 100
Republican hold

District 4

[edit]

Republican incumbent Jim Jordan won against Democratic nominee Mike Carroll. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 4th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Jordan 186,140 65.2
Democratic Mike Carroll 99,491 34.8
Total votes 216,636 100
Republican hold

District 5

[edit]

Republican incumbent Bob Latta won against Democratic nominee George Mays. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 5th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Latta 188,905 64.1
Democratic George Mays 105,840 35.9
Total votes 294,745 100
Republican hold

District 6

[edit]
2008 Ohio's 6th congressional district election

← 2006 November 4, 2008 2010 →
 
Nominee Charlie Wilson Richard Stobbs
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 188,905 92,968
Percentage 62.3% 32.8%

Wilson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Stobbs:      40–50%      50–60%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election

Charlie Wilson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Charlie Wilson
Democratic

Democratic incumbent Charlie Wilson won against Republican nominee Richard Stobbs. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 5th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlie Wilson (incumbent) 188,905 62.3
Republican Richard Stobbs 92,968 32.8
Green Dennis Spisak 13,812 4.9
Total votes 295,685 100
Democratic hold

District 7

[edit]

Republican incumbent David Hobson did not run for re-election in 2008. Republican nominee Steve Austria won against Democratic nominee Sharen Neuhardt. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Republican Favored'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 7th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Austria 174,915 58.2
Democratic Sharen Swartz Neuhardt 125,547 41.8
Total votes 300,462 100
Republican hold

District 8

[edit]

Republican incumbent John Boehner won against Democratic nominee Nicholas Von Stein. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Republican'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 8th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Boehner (incumbent) 202,063 67.9
Democratic Nicholas Von Stein 95,510 32.1
Total votes 297,573 100
Republican hold

District 9

[edit]

Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur won against Republican nominee Bradley S. Leavitt. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marcy Kaptur (incumbent) 222,054 74.4
Republican Bradley S. Leavitt 76,512 25.6
Total votes 298,566 100
Democratic hold

District 10

[edit]

The Democratic primary was held March 4, 2008, the same day as the Texas and Ohio presidential primaries. The candidates were Cleveland city councilman Joe Cimperman, North Olmsted mayor Thomas O'Grady, Barbra Ferris and Rosemary Palmer.

Incumbent Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich previously stated that he would run again for Congress in 2008 if his bid for president were unsuccessful.[4]

For 2008, however, Kucinich was facing four challengers in the Democratic primary scheduled for March 4, which prompted him to abandon his run for president.[5] Opponents included Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady. Having only raised around $50,000 so far compared to Cimperman's $228,000,[6] Kucinich put out appeals for campaign funding on YouTube.[7] He managed to raise $700,000, surpassing Cimperman's $487,000.[8]

Cimperman, who was endorsed by the Mayor of Cleveland and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, criticized Kucinich for focusing too much on campaigning for president and not on the district. Kucinich accused Cimperman of representing corporate and real estate interests. Cimperman described Kucinich as an absentee congressman who failed to pass any major legislative initiatives in his 12-year House career. In an interview, Cimperman said he was tired of Kucinich and Cleveland being joke fodder for late-night talk-show hosts, saying, "It's time for him to go home".[9][10] An ad paid for by Cimperman's campaign claimed that Kucinich had missed over 300 votes, but by checking the ad's source, the actual number was 139.[11]

A report suggested that representatives of Nancy Pelosi and American Israel Public Affairs Committee would "guarantee" Kucinich's re-election if he dropped his bid to impeach Cheney and Bush, though Kucinich denied the meeting happened.[12][13] It was also suggested that Kucinich's calls for universal health care and an immediate withdrawal from Iraq made him a thorn in the side of the Democrats' congressional leadership, as well as his refusal to pledge to support the eventual presidential nominee.[9]

At the last minute, Kucinich took part in a debate with the other primary challengers. Barbara Ferris criticized him for not bringing as much money back to the district as other area legislators and authoring just one bill that passed during his 12 years in Congress. Kucinich responded:

"It was a Republican Congress and there weren't many Democrats passing meaningful legislation during a Republican Congress."[14]

Kucinich easily won the primary by a 15-point-margin over his nearest opponent, Joe Cimperman.

2008 10th district democratic primary election, Ohio
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Dennis J. Kucinich (Incumbent) 68,156 50.27%
Democratic Joe Cimperman 47,891 35.32%
Democratic Barbara Ferris 8,780 6.48%
Democratic Thomas O'Grady 6,780 5%
Democratic Rosemary Palmer 3,982 2.94%
Majority 20,265 14.95%
Turnout

Kucinich then beat Republican nominee Jim Trakas. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 10th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dennis Kucinich (incumbent) 157,268 57.0
Republican Jim Trakas 107,918 39.1
Libertarian Paul Conroy 10,623 3.9
Total votes 275,809 100
Democratic hold

District 11

[edit]

Democratic nominee Marcia Fudge won against Republican nominee Thomas Pekarek. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'. The following candidates ran in the general election:

Ohio's 11th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Marcia L. Fudge 146,840 83.4
Republican Thomas Pekarek 36,705 14.7
Independent Write-Ins 144 1
Total votes 175,973 100
Democratic hold

A special election was held on November 18, 2008, to fill Jones's seat for the remainder of the 110th Congress, until January 3, 2009, which Fudge won with 100% of the vote.[15] See Ohio's 11th congressional district special election, 2008.

District 12

[edit]

Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi won against Democratic nominee David Robinson. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Republican Favored'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 12th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pat Tiberi (Incumbent) 197,447 54.8
Democratic David Robinson 152,234 42.2
Libertarian Steve Linnabary 10,707 3
Total votes 360,388 100
Republican hold

District 13

[edit]

Democratic incumbent Betty Sutton won against Republican nominee David Potter. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Betty Sutton (incumbent) 189,542 64.6
Republican David Potter 104,066 35.4
Total votes 293,608 100
Democratic hold

District 14

[edit]

Republican incumbent Steve LaTourette won against Democratic nominee Bill O'Neill. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Republican Favored'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 14th Congressional District election, 2006[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve LaTourette (incumbent) 188,488 58.3
Democratic Bill O'Neill 125,214 38.7
Libertarian Werner J. Lange 9,511 3
Total votes 323,213 100
Republican hold

District 15

[edit]

The election results were essentially tied, requiring an automatic recount. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Democratic'. Republican incumbent Deborah Pryce did not run for re-election in 2008, leaving this an open seat. Kilroy defeated Stivers by 2,311 votes in a race not decided until the final ballots were counted on December 7, 2008.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary Jo Kilroy 139,584 45.9
Republican Steve Stivers 137,272 45.2
Libertarian Mark M. Noble 14,061 4.6
Independent Don Elijah Eckhart 12,915 4.3
Total votes 304,978 100
Democratic gain from Republican

District 16

[edit]

Democratic nominee John Boccieri won against Republican nominee Kirk Schuring. Republican incumbent Ralph Regula did not run for re-election. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Democratic'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 16th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Boccieri 169,044 55.4
Republican Kirk Schuring 136,293 44.6
Total votes 305,337 100
Democratic gain from Republican

District 17

[edit]

Democratic incumbent Tim Ryan won against Republican nominee Duane Grassell. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tim Ryan (incumbent) 217,556 78.2
Republican Duane Grassell 60,760 21.8
Total votes 278,316 100
Democratic hold

District 18

[edit]

Democratic incumbent Zack Space won against Republican nominee Fred Dailey. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Democrat Favored'.

Results

[edit]
Ohio's 18th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zack Space (incumbent) 164,150 59.9
Republican Fred Dailey 110,001 40.1
Total votes 278,316 100
Democratic hold

References

[edit]
  1. ^ AP, Democrat wins central Ohio congressional race.
  2. ^ http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/Research/electResultsMain/2008results.aspx[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r =https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/election-results-and-data/2008-election-results/representative-to-congress-november-4-2008/
  4. ^ "Kucinich faces opponents for congressional seat". WTOL TV. January 6, 2008. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2008.
  5. ^ Freep.com[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "10th Congressional candidate Palmer raised $133,300 in '07". Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  7. ^ electdennis (January 22, 2008). "Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich from Ohio's 10th District". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2016 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Cleveland.com Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ a b "Americanchronicle.com". Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  10. ^ "The Wall Street Journal & Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News and Video". Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  11. ^ "House members who missed votes – 110th Congress". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010.
  12. ^ "JTA". Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  13. ^ "portland imc - 2008.02.06 - Kucinich throws reps from Nancy Pelosi and AIPAC out of his office". Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  14. ^ Cleveland.com Archived 2010-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ U.S. Representative - 11th Congressional District - Unexpired Term Ending 01/03/2009: November 18, 2008 Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Ohio Secretary of State, November 18, 2008, unofficial results
[edit]
Preceded by
2006 elections
United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio
2008
Succeeded by
2010 elections