Acton wins Ohio governorship

Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to become the next governor of Ohio, ending a 20 year run of Republican control in the statehouse. The former state health director now holds the power to make cabinet appointments in Columbus. Sherrod Brown also returned to the U.S. Senate after defeating Jon Husted, completing a blue wave across the state's major offices.

Concerns over affordability weighed heavily on Republican candidates this cycle. Voters cited trade wars from Washington and the ongoing conflict in Iran as primary factors in their choices. A controversial advertisement run by Ramaswamy's campaign also contributed to his loss. He acknowledged the defeat with conciliatory remarks on election night.

The governor's race was tight in key areas. Lucas County, home to Toledo, delayed reporting its results until after 1:30 a.m. Those late numbers heavily influenced the outcomes for the state auditor, treasurer, and attorney general. Democrat Allison Russo won the race for secretary of state. The races for treasurer and attorney general remain too close to call, with the attorney general contest separated by only a few thousand votes.

If that narrow margin holds, a statewide recount will be triggered for the attorney general position. The delayed reporting from Lucas County played a decisive role in these downballot races. Voters in the 7th Congressional District also shifted control to the Democratic Party. Brian Poindexter, a union iron worker from Brook Park, unseated two term Republican Congressman Max Miller.

Poindexter leveraged his working class background to win the seat. He addressed supporters at a watch party in Parma shortly after 11:30 p.m. He told the crowd, "we just won a seat in Congress." Miller conceded his defeat via social media. Poindexter promised to fight for all residents in the district, regardless of how they voted. He said the celebration would be brief before he returned to his job wearing a hard hat.

Local voters in Cuyahoga County and surrounding areas made decisive moves on school funding. Elyria voters approved a new operating levy for their school district. The measure passed with 52 percent of the vote. This is the first time Elyria has passed a new operating levy in 16 years. The district expects to generate more than $11.5 million annually from the new tax. Those funds will cover daily operational costs such as staff salaries and electricity.

The Elyria superintendent stated the money will protect athletics, clubs, and advanced classes. In Barberton, the financial outlook is darker. Voters rejected a proposed 1 percent income tax levy for Barberton City School District. Issue 5 failed with 62 percent of voters casting a no ballot. This marks the second time this year the district has failed to secure new funding from voters.

The district previously failed to pass a property tax levy in May and was placed under fiscal emergency in September. School officials already made $7 million in cuts earlier this year, including the layoff of dozens of teachers and aides. Without the income tax, the district says further budget cuts are necessary. Statewide, Ohio voters also approved Issue 3 to add voter ID to the state constitution. The measure passed with 66 percent of the vote, making the existing law harder to change in the future.

Transportation issues dominated the ballots in Avon Lake and Smithville. Avon Lake voters rejected Issue 16, a 0.4 percent income tax increase. The measure failed by a margin of 51 percent to 49 percent. City Council President Geoffrey Smith said the tax would have brought in $6 million to fix $40 million in needed road repairs. Since the levy failed, that money will not appear in the city budget. Smithville voters overwhelmingly chose to repeal speed cameras in three school zones. The repeal will take effect after election results are certified.