The 2022 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Ohio. Incumbent Republican governor Mike DeWine won re-election to a second term in a landslide, defeating Democratic nominee Nan Whaley, the former mayor of Dayton, with 62.4% of the vote. DeWine's 25-point victory marked the continuation of a trend in which every incumbent Republican governor of Ohio since 1994 has won re-election by a double-digit margin.
This was the first time since 1994 in which Trumbull and Mahoning counties have gone to the Republican candidate with over 60% of the vote. Hamilton County also voted Republican in a statewide election for the first time since Ohio's 2016 United States Senate election, which incumbent Republican Rob Portman also won by over 20 points and nearly 60% of the vote.
Republican primary
Incumbent governor Mike DeWine faced backlash from Republicans due to having implemented strict COVID-19 restrictions, such as a statewide stay at home order and mask mandates. Due to this, on April 30, 2021, farmer Joe Blystone became the first candidate to announce a primary challenge to DeWine. On June 9, former U.S. representative Jim Renacci also announced a run, later being followed up by former state representative Ron Hood. As a result, DeWine became the first incumbent Ohio governor to face a primary challenger since Jim Rhodes in 1978 and the first to have multiple challengers since Michael Disalle in 1962. Initial polling showed Renacci in the lead; however, his lead soon evaporated, as DeWine attempted to appeal to conservatives angry with his COVID-19 response by attacking President Joe Biden's policies and signing constitutional carry into law, allowing permitless carry of firearms. Incumbent governors rarely ever lose their primaries. Ultimately, DeWine prevailed in the primary election on May 3; however, he only won with a plurality of the vote, which suggests that he could have lost had his opponents not split the vote.
Candidates
Nominated
- Mike DeWine, incumbent governor of Ohio (2019–present), 50th attorney general of Ohio (2011–2019), former U.S. senator from Ohio (1995–2007), 59th lieutenant governor of Ohio, and former U.S. representative for Ohio's 7th congressional district (1983–1991)
- Running mate: Jon Husted, incumbent lieutenant governor of Ohio (2019–present)
Eliminated in primary
- Joe Blystone, farmer
- Running mate: Jeremiah Workman, Iraq War veteran; Restaurateur Joanna Swallen, Blystone's original running mate, withdrew
- Ron Hood, former state representative from the 78th District (2013–2020), 91st District (2005–2006), 57th District (1995–2000), and candidate for OH-15 in 2021
- Running mate: Candice Keller, former state representative from the 53rd District (2016–2020)
- Jim Renacci, former U.S. representative for Ohio's 16th congressional district (2011–2019) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018
- Running mate: Joe Knopp, Christian film producer
Declined
- Warren Davidson, U.S. representative for Ohio's 8th congressional district (2016–present) (ran for re-election)
- Jon Husted, lieutenant governor of Ohio (2019–present) (ran for re-election)
- Jim Jordan, U.S. representative for Ohio's 4th congressional district (2007–present) (ran for re-election)
- Josh Mandel, former Ohio state treasurer (2011–2019), nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 (ran for U.S. Senate)
- Dave Yost, Attorney General of Ohio (2019–present) and former Ohio state auditor (2011–2019) (ran for re-election)
Endorsements
Polling
Graphical summary
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominated
- Nan Whaley, former mayor of Dayton (2014–2022) and candidate in 2018
- Running mate: Cheryl Stephens, Cuyahoga County Council vice president
Eliminated in primary
- John Cranley, former mayor of Cincinnati (2013–2022) and nominee for OH-01 in 2000 and 2006
- Running mate: Teresa Fedor, state senator from Ohio's 11th senatorial district
Withdrawn
- Ted Williams, voice-over artist
Declined
- Tim Ryan, U.S. representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district (2003–2023) and candidate for U.S. President in 2020 (ran for U.S. Senate)
- Emilia Sykes, Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2019–2021) and state representative (2015–2023) (ran for and was elected to the U.S. House in Ohio's 13th congressional district)
Endorsements
Polling
Results
Independents
Candidates
- Timothy Grady (write-in)
- Running mate: Dayna Bickley
- Craig Patton (write-in)
- Running mate: Collin Cook
- Renea Turner (write-in)
- Running mate: Adina Pelletier
- Marshall Usher (write-in)
- Running mate: Shannon Walker
Disqualified
- F. Patrick Cunnane
- Running mate: Mary Cunnane
- Niel Petersen, pastor from Huber Heights
- Running mate: Michael V Stewart
Endorsements
General election
Predictions
Post-primary endorsements
Polling
Aggregate polls
Graphical summary
Results
According to a survey conducted by NORC for Fox News and the Associated Press, most white people (68% to 32%), Latinos (64% to 33%), and other minorities (60% to 36%) voted for DeWine, while most African Americans voted for Whaley (73% to 27%).
By county
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Hamilton (largest city: Cincinnati)
- Lorain (largest city: Lorain)
- Lucas (largest city: Toledo)
- Mahoning (largest city: Youngstown)
- Summit (largest city: Akron)
- Trumbull (largest city: Warren)
By congressional district
DeWine won 13 of 15 congressional districts, including three that elected Democrats.
Analysis
Voter demographics
Voter demographic data was collected by CNN. The voter survey is based on exit polls. There were 3,772 total respondents.
See also
- 2022 Ohio elections
Notes
Partisan clients
References
External links
Official campaign websites
- Mike DeWine (R) for Governor
- Nan Whaley (D) for Governor
- Tim Grady (I) for Governor
