2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio

The redistricting process was formally begun by a legislative panel on June 16, 2011.^[1] 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.^[2] The map was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on September 15^[3] 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^[4] and was passed again by the House the same day.^[5] Governor John Kasich signed the bill into law on September 26.^[6]

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.^[7] 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,^[8] a request the court declined, meaning the 90-day period would begin on September 26 rather than October 14.^[9] Chris Redfern, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, vowed to collect enough signatures to place the map on the ballot.^[10]

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.^[11] Later that month members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus met with Redfern, indicating they would not immediately seek to compromise with Republicans;^[12] 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.^[13]

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.^[14]

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.^[15] 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.^[16] If the Democratic Party failed to collect enough signatures, the original map would have taken effect on Christmas Day 2011.^[15]

On December 14, 2011, the House of Representatives and Senate both passed a new map, effectively resolving the situation.^[17]

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.^[18] It had been represented by Republican Steve Chabot, who previously served from 1995 until 2009, since January 2011. He sought re-election in 2012.^[19]

Quick facts Majority party, Minority party ...

2012 Ohio's 2nd congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Majority party Minority party   Candidate Brad Wenstrup William Smith Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 194,296 137,077 Percentage 58.63% 41.37%

County results Wenstrup:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Smith:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Jean Schmidt Republican Elected U.S. Representative Brad Wenstrup Republican

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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^[47]

Eliminated in primary

• Tony Brush, businessman^[19]
• Fred Kundrata, Air Force veteran^[19]
• Jean Schmidt, incumbent U.S. representative

Disqualified

• Joe Green, businessman (ran as a write-in candidate)^[19]

Primary results

More information Party, Candidate ...

Republican primary results^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Brad Wenstrup	42,482	48.7
	Republican	Jean Schmidt (incumbent)	37,383	43.0
	Republican	Tony Brush	4,275	4.9
	Republican	Fred Kundrata	2,999	3.4
	Republican	Joe Green (write-in)	29	0.0
Total votes			87,168	100.0

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Wenstrup upset Schmidt to win the nomination.^[48]

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2012 Ohio's 3rd congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Joyce Beatty Chris Long Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 201,921 77,903 Percentage 68.29% 26.35%

U.S. Representative before election None (new seat) Elected U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty Democratic

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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.

Republican Jim Jordan had represented Ohio's 4th congressional district since 2007. He sought re-election in 2012.^[69]

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2012 Ohio's 5th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Bob Latta Angela Zimmann Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 201,514 137,806 Percentage 57.26% 39.16%

County results Latta:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Zimmann:      40–50%

U.S. Representative before election Bob Latta Republican Elected U.S. Representative Bob Latta Republican

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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.^[28][70]

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2012 Ohio's 6th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Bill Johnson Charlie Wilson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 164,536 144,444 Percentage 53.2% 46.8%

County results Johnson:      50–60%      60–70% Wilson:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Bill Johnson Republican Elected U.S. Representative Bill Johnson Republican

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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.^[28][75]

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2012 Ohio's 7th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Bob Gibbs Joyce Healy-Abrams Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 178,104 137,708 Percentage 56.39% 43.61%

County results Gibbs:      50–60%      60–70%      80–90% Healy-Abrams:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Bob Gibbs Republican Elected U.S. Representative Bob Gibbs Republican

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Republican Bob Gibbs, who had represented Ohio's 18th congressional district since January 2011, won the Republican nomination in the new 7th district.^[88] He defeated pastor Hombre Liggett.^[28][89]

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2012 Ohio's 8th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee John Boehner Party Republican Popular vote 246,378 Percentage 99.21%

U.S. Representative before election John Boehner Republican Elected U.S. Representative John Boehner Republican

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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.^[19]

No Democrat filed to challenge Boehner.^[19]

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2012 Ohio's 9th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Marcy Kaptur Samuel Wurzelbacher Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 217,775 68,666 Percentage 73.04% 23.03%

County results Kaptur:      50–60%      60–70%      80–90%

U.S. Representatives before election Marcy Kaptur (9th) Dennis Kucinich (10th) Democratic Elected U.S. Representatives Marcy Kaptur Democratic

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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^[98] or in the 11th district, sought re-election in the 9th district.

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

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Marcy Kaptur, incumbent U.S. representative^[99]

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^[100]
• Graham Veysey, video production manager^[89]

Primary results

More information Party, Candidate ...

Democratic primary results^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Marcy Kaptur (incumbent)	42,902	56.2
	Democratic	Dennis Kucinich (incumbent)	30,564	40.0
	Democratic	Graham Vesysey	2,900	3.8
Total votes			76,366	100.0

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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.^[105]

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2012 Ohio's 11th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Marcia Fudge Party Democratic Popular vote 258,378 Percentage 100.00%

U.S. Representative before election Marcia Fudge Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Marcia Fudge Democratic

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Ohio's 11th congressional district had been represented by Democrat Marcia Fudge since 2008. She sought re-election in 2012.^[89]

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2012 Ohio's 12th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Pat Tiberi Jim Reese Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 233,874 134,614 Percentage 63.47% 36.53%

County results Tiberi:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election Pat Tiberi Republican Elected U.S. Representative Pat Tiberi Republican

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

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

2012 Ohio's 13th congressional district election

← 2010 2014 →

Nominee Tim Ryan Marisha Agana Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 235,942 88,120 Percentage 72.77% 27.23%

County results Ryan:      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election Tim Ryan Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Tim Ryan Democratic

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Democrat Betty Sutton, who had represented Ohio's 13th congressional district since 2007, sought re-election in the new 16th district in 2012.^[91] Tim Ryan, who had represented the now-defunct 17th district since 2003, ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the new 13th district.^[91]