2018 United States Senate election in Ohio

The 2018 United States Senate election in Ohio took place November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was February 7, 2018; the primary election was held May 8, 2018. Incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown—the only remaining elected Democratic statewide officeholder in Ohio at the time of the election—won his reelection bid for a third term, defeating Republican U.S. Representative Jim Renacci in the general election. This was one of ten Democratic-held Senate seats up for election in a state won by Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Nominee

 * Sherrod Brown, incumbent U.S. Senator

Nominee

 * Jim Renacci, U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Melissa Ackison, businesswoman
 * Don Elijah Eckhart, candidate for the Republican nomination in 2016
 * Mike Gibbons, investment banker
 * Dennis Jones
 * Dan Kiley

Withdrawn

 * Josh Mandel, Ohio State Treasurer and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2012

Declined

 * Ken Blackwell, former mayor of Cincinnati, former Ohio State Treasurer, and former Ohio Secretary of State
 * Rick Jones, Butler County Sheriff
 * John Kasich, Governor of Ohio, former U.S. Representative
 * Mary Taylor, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (ran for governor and lost the primary)
 * Pat Tiberi, U.S. Representative
 * J. D. Vance, author and venture capitalist

Polling

 * with Josh Mandel


 * with Matt Huffman


 * with Pat Tiberi

Results
[[File:Ohio U.S. Senate Republican primary, 2018.svg|thumb|200px|Results by county: Renacci

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{{legend|#cc2f4a|60–70%}}

{{legend|#e27f90|50–60%}}

{{legend|#f2b3be|40–50%}}

{{legend|#ffccd0|<40%}} Gibbons

{{legend|#ffccaa|<40%}}

{{legend|#ffb380|40–50%}}

{{legend|#ff9955|50–60%}} Ackison

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Candidates

 * Sherrod Brown (D)
 * Stephen Faris (I, write-in)
 * Philena Irene Farley (G, write-in)
 * Bruce Jaynes (L, write-in)
 * Jim Renacci (R)

Debates

 * Complete video of debate, October 14, 2018
 * Complete video of debate, October 20, 2018
 * Complete video of debate, October 26, 2018

Predictions

 * Notes

Polling

 * with Mike Gibbons
 * with Melissa Ackison


 * with Don Eckhart


 * with Dan Kiley


 * with Pat Tiberi
 * with Josh Mandel

Results
The election was not particularly close, with Brown winning by 6.84%. Brown was the only Democrat who won statewide in Ohio in this election cycle. Brown was able to win re-election by winning back most of the Rust Belt, which swung Republican in 2016. Brown did well in Portage County, Summit County, and Trumbull County, which are all very heavily pro union counties. Brown also did well in the rust belt from Lucas County, home of Toledo, all the way to Cuyahoga County, home of Cleveland. Brown also trounced Renacci in Franklin County and Hamilton County home of Columbus and Cincinnati respectively; the latter, Hamilton County was once considered a Republican stronghold. Renacci, while performing well in most rural areas of the state, underperformed Mike DeWine, the Republican Party's nominee and eventual winner for governor. Regardless, Renacci somewhat overperformed in comparison to most polling before the election, while Brown lost in several counties he had won in his previous Senate races. Exit polls also show Brown had a very strong showing amongst minority and women voters, which was key to his victory. Brown was sworn in for a third term as the senior senator from Ohio on January 3, 2019.





Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Pike (Largest city: Waverly)
 * Ross (Largest city: Chillicothe)
 * Scioto (Largest city: Portsmouth)
 * Belmont (largest city: Martins Ferry)
 * Jefferson (largest city: Steubenville)
 * Sandusky (Largest city: Fremont)
 * Clark (largest municipality: Springfield)
 * Stark (largest city: Canton)
 * Monroe (Largest city: Woodsfield)

By congressional district
Brown won 9 of 16 congressional districts, including 5 that elected Republicans to the House.