2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio

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.

District
Results of the 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio by district:

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
The 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.

Nominee

 * Steve Chabot, incumbent U.S. Representative

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 19 provides only the unofficial, election night final tally).

Nominee

 * Jim Berns, former Chair of Hamilton County Libertarian Party and nominee for this district in 2010

Eliminated in primary

 * Queen Noble, business owner

Nominee

 * Rich Stevenson, political writer, activist and nominee for this district in 2010

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.

District 2
Republican Jean Schmidt had represented Ohio's 2nd congressional district since 2005.

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.

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.

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.

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 and 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

Nominee

 * Chris Long, member of the Reynoldsburg city council

Eliminated in primary

 * John Adams, manufacturing company owner

Nominee

 * Richard Ehrbar

Nominee

 * Bob Fitrakis, professor

District 4
Republican Jim Jordan had represented Ohio's 4th congressional district since 2007. He sought re-election in 2012.

Nominee

 * Jim Jordan, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Jim Slone, former General Motors employee

Nominee

 * Chris Kalla

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.

Nominee

 * Bob Latta, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Robert Wallis, business owner and candidate for this seat in 2010

Nominee

 * Angela Zimmann, pastor and professor

Nominee

 * Eric Eberly

District 6
The 6th district encompasses Appalachian Ohio, including Steubenville, Marietta, and Ironton. Republican Bill Johnson, who had represented Ohio's 6th congressional district since January 2011, sought re-election in 2012. He defeated Victor Smith in the Republican primary.

Nominee

 * Bill Johnson, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Victor Smith

Nominee

 * Charlie Wilson, former U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Cas Adulewicz

Declined

 * John Boccieri, former U.S. Representative
 * Zack Space, former U.S. Representative

District 7
Republican Bob Gibbs, who had represented Ohio's 18th congressional district since January 2011, won the Republican nomination in the new 7th district. He defeated pastor Hombre Liggett.

Nominee

 * Bob Gibbs, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Hombre Liggett

Democratic primary
Joseph Liolios had planned to run, but failed to refile after the Ohio General Assembly modified some districts' boundaries and moved the date of the primary.

Political consultant Bill Burges suggested in September 2011 that Democratic U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, who had represented the 13th district since 2007, might have sought re-election in the 7th district; however, in December 2011, she announced plans to run in the 16th district.

Nominee

 * Joyce Healy-Abrams, businesswoman and sister of Canton mayor William J. Healy II

Declined

 * John Boccieri, former U.S. Representative
 * Zack Space, former U.S. Representative
 * Betty Sutton, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 13th district

Polling

 * With Generic Democratic

District 8
Ohio's 8th congressional district had been represented by Republican John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, since 1991. He sought re-election in 2012.

No Democrat filed to challenge Boehner.

Nominee

 * John Boehner, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * David Lewis, pro-life and Tea Party activist

District 9
Democratic U.S. Representatives Marcy Kaptur, who had represented Ohio's 9th congressional district since 1983; and Dennis Kucinich, who represented Ohio's 10th congressional district from 1997 until January 3, 2013, and had considered seeking re-election in Washington or in the 11th district, sought re-election in the 9th district.

Both Democratic and Republican primaries were held on March 6, 2012.

Nominee

 * Marcy Kaptur, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Dennis Kucinich, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 10th district, former mayor of Cleveland, candidate for secretary of state in 1982, and candidate for President of the United States in 2004 and 2008
 * Graham Veysey, video production manager

Nominee

 * Samuel Wurzelbacher, plumber

Eliminated in primary

 * Steven Kraus, auctioneer

Declined

 * Rich Iott, former grocery executive and nominee for this district in 2010

Nominee

 * Sean Stipe

District 10
Republican U.S. Representative Mike Turner, who had represented Ohio's 3rd congressional district since 2003, sought re-election in the new 10th district in 2012.

Nominee

 * Mike Turner, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * John D. Anderson, civilian air force acquisition logistics and sustainment manager
 * Edward Breen, substitute teacher

Withdrawn

 * Robert Frost, chair of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party

Declined

 * Steve Austria, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 7th district

Democratic primary
Six candidates qualified for the ballot in the Democratic primary. Sharen Neuhardt won the March primary with a plurality of 36% of the vote. She had in 2008 run for the seat held by Steve Austria, who defeated her 58%-42% in a district McCain won 54%-45%, thus underperforming Obama by three points. However, this redrawn district McCain would have won 50%-49%.

Nominee

 * Sharen Neuhardt, attorney and nominee for the 7th district in 2008

Eliminated in primary

 * David Esrati
 * Olivia Freeman, Army veteran
 * Tom McMasters
 * Ryan Steele
 * Mack Vanallen, retired school teacher

Withdrawn

 * Michael Gardner
 * Richard Scott Wharton

Nominee

 * David Harlow

District 11
Ohio's 11th congressional district had been represented by Democrat Marcia Fudge since 2008. She sought re-election in 2012.

Nominee

 * Marcia Fudge, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Gerald Henley, former member of the Cleveland school board and independent candidate for Cuyahoga County Council in 2010
 * Isaac Powell, candidate for this seat in 2008 and 2010

Declined

 * Marie Jefferson
 * Dennis Kucinich, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 10th district, former mayor of Cleveland, candidate for secretary of state in 1982, and candidate for President of the United States in 2004 and 2008 (running in the 9th district)
 * Linda Omobien, Akron city council member
 * Marco Sommerville, president of the Akron city council
 * Vernon Sykes state representative
 * Nina Turner, state senator
 * Mike Williams, Akron city council member

District 12
Ohio's 12th congressional district had been represented by Republican Pat Tiberi since 2001. He sought re-election in 2012.

Nominee

 * Pat Tiberi, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * William Yarbrough

Nominee

 * James Reese, attorney

Eliminated in primary

 * Doug Litt, employee of Spherion Staffing at Gorman-Rupp and nominee for the 4th district in 2010

District 13
Democrat Betty Sutton, who had represented Ohio's 13th congressional district since 2007, sought re-election in the new 16th district in 2012. Tim Ryan, who had represented the now-defunct 17th district since 2003, ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the new 13th district.

Democratic primary
John Stephen Luchansky and Lisa Regula Meyer had also filed to seek the Democratic nomination, but both failed to refile after the Ohio General Assembly modified some districts' boundaries and moved the date of the primary.

Nominee

 * Tim Ryan, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Marisha Agana, Pediatrician

District 14
Republican Steve LaTourette, who had represented Ohio's 14th congressional district since 1995, was expected to seek re-election and ran unopposed in the party primary

Nominee

 * Steve LaTourette, incumbent U.S. Representative

Primary results
LaTourette announced on July 31, 2012, that he was retiring at the end of the term. He officially withdrew from the ballot on August 8, allowing the party chairmen from the seven counties in the district to select a replacement nominee.

Replacement Nominee

 * David Joyce, Geauga County Prosecutor

Other possible replacements who had been mentioned included Willoughby-Eastlake School Board member Paul Brickner, former state Senator Kevin Coughlin, Lake County Judge Vince Culotta, former state Representative Matt Dolan, former state Senator Tim Grendell, state Senator Frank LaRose, Cuyahoga County Councilman Jack Schron, and state Representative Ron Young.

Nominee

 * Dale Virgil Blanchard, accountant and perennial candidate

Green primary

 * Elaine Mastromatteo

Libertarian primary

 * David Macko

District 15
Republican Steve Stivers, who had represented Ohio's 15th congressional district since January 2011, sought re-election in 2012.

Nominee

 * Steve Stivers, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Ralph Applegate
 * Charles Chope

Nominee

 * Pat Lang, Athens city law director

Eliminated in primary

 * Scott Wharton, farmer and pilot

District 16
Ohio's 16th congressional district had been represented by Republican Jim Renacci since January 2011. He sought re-election in 2012.

Nominee

 * Jim Renacci, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Betty Sutton, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 13th district

Declined

 * John Boccieri, former U.S. Representative
 * Zack Space, former U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Jeffrey Blevins, restaurant manager and nominee for this seat in 2010 (withdrew August 23, 2012)

Debates

 * Complete video of debate, October 10, 2012