Ohio voters elect Democrat as governor while rejecting road tax in Avon Lake

Ohio voters turned to the Democrats on Tuesday, electing Amy Acton as the state's new governor. She defeated Vivek Ramaswamy to replace Mike DeWine, who is term-limited. This marks the first time a Democrat has held the governor's mansion in 20 years. Acton previously served as the state health director under DeWine for seven years. Her victory is part of a wider shift in the state's political landscape. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown also won the U.S. Senate seat against Jon Husted.

Affordability concerns weighed heavily on Republican candidates. The source notes that trade wars and the war in Iran contributed to voter anxiety. Ramaswamy appeared conciliatory in his post-election remarks. In a close race for attorney general, the margin was only a few thousand votes. If that gap holds, it will trigger a statewide recount. Democrat Allison Russo won the secretary of state race. Lucas County, home to Toledo, delayed reporting its numbers until after 1:30 a.m., which impacted the final tallies for downballot races.

In Ohio's 7th Congressional District, Democrat Brian Poindexter unseated two-term Rep. Max Miller. Poindexter, a union iron worker from Brook Park, campaigned on his working-class background. He took the stage at a watch party in Parma shortly after 11:30 p.m. to announce the win. He pledged to fight for the district's residents regardless of how they voted. Miller conceded via social media. Poindexter said he would hold a brief celebration before returning to his job site.

Local ballots in Elyria and Barberton produced contrasting results for their school districts. Elyria voters approved a new operating levy with 52% of the vote. The measure will generate more than $11.5 million annually. This is the first time the city has passed such a levy in 16 years. The money will cover daily operations like staff and utilities. In Barberton, voters rejected a proposed 1% income tax with 62% voting no. This is the second funding defeat for the district this year. The school board had to make $7 million in cuts earlier in the year.

Voters in Avon Lake rejected a road tax increase by a narrow margin. Issue 16, which would have raised the local income tax by 0.4%, failed 51% to 49%. Council President Geoffrey Smith said the tax would have raised $6 million. The city faces $40 million in needed road repairs. Without the new revenue, repair funds will not appear in the city budget. In Smithville, voters voted to repeal speed cameras installed in three school zones. The repeal will take effect once election results are certified.

Statewide, voters approved Issue 3 to enshrine voter ID in the state constitution. The measure passed with 66% of the vote. While voter ID is already law, adding it to the constitution makes it harder to change. This result was one of several closely watched races across the state on Election Day.