1:17 a.m.
With all the races on Athens residents’ ballots called, it’s time for one final wrap-up of tonight’s results. Thanks in advance for sticking with The Post tonight.
As of 1:17 a.m., all but one of the 8,904 precincts in Ohio have reported their unofficial results.
In the Ohio governor’s race, Republican Mike DeWine won 50.90 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Richard Cordray, who received 46.20 percent. Libertarian Travis M. Irvine and Green Constance Gadell-Newton each won less than 2 percent of the vote.
In the lone Democrat win for a state position on Athens ballots, Sen. Sherrod Brown won re-election and will serve a third term. He won 53.16 percent of the vote, defeating Republican challenger Jim Renacci, who won 46.84 percent.
Republican Steve Stivers won the 15th Congressional District representative race, winning 58.62 percent of the vote. Stivers has served in Congress since 2011. Democratic challenger Rick Neal won 39.46 percent of the vote, and Libertarian Johnathan Miller picked up 1.93 percent.
Incumbent Republican Jay Edwards was re-elected in the race for 94th District state representative, taking 58.29 percent of the vote. In a tweet, Democratic challenger Taylor Sappington, who won 41.71 percent, said he had called Edwards to concede.
In the race for state attorney general, Republican Dave Yost defeated Democrat Steve Dettlebach. Yost won 52.45 percent of votes to Dettlebach’s 47.55.
State Issue 1, which would have emphasized treatment over prison time for those convicted of drug crimes, was soundly rejected by Ohioans: 63.43 percent of voters voted against the issue compared to 36.57 percent for it.
In the three Athens County positions on the ballot this year, all three incumbents secured another term. Democratic County Commissioner Lenny Eliason, Republican County Auditor Jill A. Thompson and Democratic County Treasurer Ric Wasserman will all stay in their roles. While Eliason and Wasserman won in relatively uncompetitive races — both won more than 60 percent of their respective votes — Thompson just squeaked past Democratic challenger Dave Owen, winning 51 percent of the vote to Owen’s 49.
Finally, all three Athens issues on the ballot passed, including Issue 3. Issue 3 is a capital improvement levy that offers a long-term plan for buildings and repairs in the Athens City School District. “I know that this was a difficult question for a lot of folks, a pretty significant increase in tax,” district Superintendent Tom Gibbs said. “I just appreciate the trust that the community is placing in me and the board of education.”
For more on all these stories, check out The Post’s Election Day landing page with full stories on all the above races and issues.
And on behalf of The Post’s reporters, editors, photographers, designers, illustrators, social media staff and web designers who worked to bring you this year’s Election Day coverage, thank you for reading.
— Alex McCann
12:19 a.m.
With almost 99 percent of precincts, including all of Athens County, reporting in, all races on Athens residents’ ballots — state, county and local — have been called. Here are the latest updates. All winners and ballot issue results are italicized.
State
- Mike DeWine (R), 50.90 percent
- Richard Cordray (D), 46.20 percent
- Travis M. Irvine (L), 1.79 percent
- Constance Gadell-Newton (G), 1.10 percent
- Sherrod Brown (D), 52.96 percent
- Jim Renacci (R), 47.04 percent
15th Congressional District Representative:
- Steve Stivers (R), 58.62 percent
- Rick Neal (D), 39.46 percent
- Johnathan Miller (L), 1.93 percent
94th District State Representative:
- Jay Edwards (R), 58.29 percent
- Taylor Sappington (D), 41.71 percent
- Dave Yost (R), 52.67 percent
- Steve Dettelbach (D), 47.33 percent
- NO, 63.61 percent
- YES, 36.39 percent
County
- Lenny Eliason (D), 65.25 percent
- Bill Hayes, 33.90 percent
- Jill A. Thompson (R), 51.00 percent
- Dave Owen (D), 49.00 percent
- Ric Wasserman (D), 61.54 percent
- Gary Van Meter (R), 38.46 percent
Local
Issue 3 (Athens City School District bond issue and tax levy):
- FOR the bond issue and levy, 52.47 percent
- AGAINST the bond issue and levy, 47.53 percent
Issue 4 (Athens County EMS tax levy):
- FOR the tax levy, 72.51 percent
- AGAINST the tax levy, 27.49 percent
Issue 5 (Athens City County Health Department tax levy):
- FOR the tax levy, 66.57 percent
- AGAINST the tax levy, 33.43 percent
— Alex McCann
11:43 p.m.
The New York Times has called the 15th Congressional District race for Republican incumbent Steve Stivers. With about 98 percent of precincts reporting in, Stivers has received 58.64 percent of votes. Challenger Rick Neal, a Democrat, has received 39.44 percent; Libertarian Johnathan Miller has received 1.93 percent.
In addition, Democratic challenger Taylor Sappington has conceded to Republican incumbent Jay Edwards in the race for 94th District State Representative, according to a tweet from Sappington. With about 98 percent of precincts reporting in, Edwards has received 58.29 percent of votes, and Sappington has received 41.71 percent.
— Alex McCann
11:20 p.m.
With about 95 percent of precincts reporting, here are updates on statewide races on the ballot in Athens:
Ohio Governor:
- Mike DeWine (R), 51.18 percent — race has been called for DeWine
- Richard Cordray (D), 45.93 percent
- Travis M. Irvine (L), 1.79 percent
- Constance Gadell-Newton (G), 1.10 percent
- Sherrod Brown (D), 52.80 percent — race has been called for Brown
- Jim Renacci (R), 47.20 percent
15th Congressional District Representative:
- Steve Stivers (R), 58.28 percent
- Rick Neal (D), 39.80 percent
- Johnathan Miller (L), 1.92 percent
94th District State Representative:
- Jay Edwards (R), 58.29 percent
- Taylor Sappington (D), 41.71 percent
Ohio Attorney General:
- Dave Yost (R), 52.85 percent — race has been called for Yost
- Steve Dettelbach (D), 47.15 percent
- No, 63.80 percent — race has been called, Issue 1 fails
- Yes, 36.20 percent
— Alex McCann
11:02 p.m.
In national news, CNN has called the race for control of the House of Representatives in favor of the Democrats.
— Alex McCann
10:59 p.m.
The Associated Press has called the race for Ohio attorney general for Republican Dave Yost, defeating Democrat Steve Dettelbach. With 91.95 percent of Ohio precincts reporting in, Yost has received 53.13 percent of votes and Democrat Steve Dettlebach has received 46.87 percent.
— Alex McCann
10:48 p.m.
NBC News has called the Ohio gubernatorial election for Republican Mike DeWine. With 91.35 percent precincts reporting, DeWine has received 51.50 percent of the vote; Democratic Richard Cordray has received 45.60 percent.
— Alex McCann
10:41 p.m.
Results are still trickling in across Ohio. We’ll have more updates and expanded coverage on state, county and local races coming soon.
In case you’re not tied to a TV or Twitter, here’s some notable results from around the U.S.:
- Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has been re-elected in Texas, defeating Democratic upstart Beto O’Rourke and all but assuring that the GOP will retain control of the Senate
- 28-year-old Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won in a landslide, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress
- Colorado has elected Democratic Jared Polis, the nation’s first openly gay governor
— Alex McCann
10:17 p.m.
With about 76.83 percent of precincts reporting statewide, here are the current unofficial results in statewide races. State Issue 1 has failed. The only other called race was the one for U.S. Senator, which was called in favor of incumbent Sherrod Brown just after 8 p.m.
Ohio Governor:
- Mike DeWine (R), 52.11 percent
- Richard Cordray (D), 44.99 percent
- Travis M. Irvine (L), 1.79 percent
- Constance Gadell-Newton (G), 1.12 percent
U.S. Senator from Ohio:
- Sherrod Brown (D), 51.96 percent — race has been called for Brown
- Jim Renacci (R), 48.04 percent
15th Congressional District Representative:
- Steve Stivers (R), 58.28 percent
- Rick Neal (D), 39.81 percent
- Johnathan Miller (L), 1.91 percent
94th District State Representative:
- Jay Edwards (R), 58.29 percent
- Taylor Sappington (D), 41.71 percent
Ohio Attorney General:
- Dave Yost (R), 53.97 percent
- Steve Dettelbach (D), 46.03 percent
- No, 64.91 percent — race has been called, Issue 1 fails
- Yes, 35.09 percent
— Alex McCann
10:05 p.m.
Here are the unofficial results for local and county races with all Athens County precincts reporting in. Unofficial winners and ballot issue results are italicized.
Athens County Commissioner:
- Lenny Eliason (D), 65.25 percent
- Bill Hayes, 33.90 percent
Athens County Auditor:
- Jill A. Thompson (R), 51.00 percent
- Dave Owen (D), 49.00 percent
Athens County Treasurer:
- Ric Wasserman (D), 61.54 percent
- Gary Van Meter (R), 38.46 percent
Issue 3 (Athens City School District bond issue and tax levy)
- FOR the bond issue and levy, 52.47 percent
- AGAINST the bond issue and levy, 47.53 percent
Issue 4 (Athens County EMS tax levy)
- FOR the tax levy, 72.51 percent
- AGAINST the tax levy, 27.49 percent
Issue 5 (Athens City County Health Department tax levy)
- FOR the tax levy, 66.57 percent
- AGAINST the tax levy, 33.43 percent
— Alex McCann
9:40 p.m.
With all precincts reporting in, Issue 3 has passed, according to unofficial results from the Athens County Board of Elections. Issue 3 is a bond issue and tax levy that will fund improvements for the Athens City School District buildings.
In addition, Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason (D), Athens County Auditor Jill A. Thompson (R) and Athens County Treasurer Ric Wasserman (D) have all won re-election, according to the unofficial results.
— Alex McCann
9:21 p.m.
With about 34 percent of precincts reporting statewide, here are the current unofficial results in statewide races:
Ohio Governor:
- Mike DeWine (R), 51.66 percent
- Richard Cordray (D), 45.53 percent
- Travis M. Irvine (L), 1.70 percent
- Constance Gadell-Newton (G), 1.11 percent
U.S. Senator from Ohio:
- Sherrod Brown (D), 52.82 percent — race has been called for Brown
- Jim Renacci (R), 47.18 percent
15th Congressional District Representative:
- Steve Stivers (R), 56.44 percent
- Rick Neal (D), 41.77 percent
- Johnathan Miller (L), 1.78 percent
94th District State Representative:
- Jay Edwards (R), 54.05 percent
- Taylor Sappington (D), 45.95 percent
Ohio Attorney General:
- Dave Yost (R), 53.58 percent
- Steve Dettelbach (D), 46.42 percent
- No, 64.34 percent
- Yes, 35.66 percent
— Alex McCann
9:16 p.m.
Almost all 56 Athens County precincts are in. With 50 of 56 precincts (89.29 percent) in, here are unofficial voting results:
Ohio Governor:
- Richard Cordray (D), 63.97 percent
- Mike DeWine (R), 32.47 percent
- Travis M. Irvine (L), 1.89 percent
- Constance Gadell-Newton (G), 1.65 percent
U.S. Senator from Ohio:
- Sherrod Brown (D), 69.31 percent — race has been called for Brown
- Jim Renacci (R), 30.57 percent
- Write-in, 23 votes
15th Congressional District Representative:
- Rick Neal (D), 63.37 percent
- Steve Stivers (R), 34.15 percent
- Johnathan Miller (L), 2.47 percent
94th District State Representative:
- Taylor Sappington (D), 56.86 percent
- Jay Edwards (R), 43.14 percent
Ohio Attorney General:
- Steve Dettelbach (D), 64.04 percent
- Dave Yost (R), 35.96 percent
- No, 56.05 percent
- Yes, 43.95 percent
Most local and county races are leaning pretty hard toward Democrats, though Republican Jill A. Thompson is slightly leading the race for Athens County auditor.
As expected, Issue 3’s race is very tight. Meanwhile, Issues 4 and 5 are both looking likely to pass. Here are current vote percents in local races:
Athens County Commissioner:
- Lenny Eliason (D), 66.10 percent
- Bill Hayes, 33.90 percent
Athens County Auditor:
- Dave Owen (D), 50.16 percent
- Jill A. Thompson (R), 49.84 percent
Athens County Treasurer:
- Ric Wasserman (D), 62.84 percent
- Gary Van Meter (R), 37.16 percent
Issue 3 (Athens City School District bond issue and tax levy)
- FOR the bond issue and levy, 54.47 percent
- AGAINST the bond issue and levy, 45.43 percent
Issue 4 (Athens County EMS tax levy)
- FOR the tax levy, 73.53 percent
- AGAINST the tax levy, 26.47 percent
Issue 5 (Athens City County Health Department tax levy)
- FOR the tax levy, 67.54 percent
- AGAINST the tax levy, 32.46 percent
— Alex McCann
8:42 p.m.
Ohio University College Democrats President Bailey Williams said he is “glad to have (Sherrod Brown) back on Capitol Hill” after Brown’s victory over Jim Renacci was called. Post reporter Jonny Palermo reported that cheers went up at The Pigskin Bar and Grille when Richard Cordray’s and Beto O’Rourke’s respective leads in the Ohio governor’s and Texas Senate races were shown on TV.
— Alex McCann
8:16 p.m.
CNN and NBC News have called the Ohio Senator race for incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown, defeating challenging Republican Jim Renacci. This will be Brown’s third term in office.
— Alex McCann
8:01 p.m.
Results for absentee ballots in Athens County are in, though technically 0 of the 56 precincts in the county are counted.
Here are the vote counts in major races as they officially stand:
Ohio Governor:
- Richard Cordray (D), 4,718
- Mike DeWine (R), 1,742
- Travis M. Irvine (L), 97
- Constance Gadell-Newton (G), 92
U.S. Senator from Ohio:
- Sherrod Brown (D), 5,064
- Jim Renacci (R), 1,602
- Write-in, 6
15th Congressional District Representative:
- Rick Neal (D), 4,479
- Steve Stivers (R), 1,737
- Johnathan Miller (L), 96
94th District State Representative:
- Taylor Sappington (D), 4,049
- Jay Edwards (R), 2,254
Ohio Attorney General:
- Steve Dettelbach (D), 4,515
- Dave Yost (R), 1,882
- No, 3,485
- Yes, 3,163
— Alex McCann
7:30 p.m.
Polls in Ohio are now officially closed. Results should start rolling in over the next hour or so. Stick with us for updates.
— Alex McCann
7:14 p.m.
Our reporters are heading out to the Athens Board of Elections office and other locations around Athens to prepare for results and chat with candidates and voters. Give them a follow on Twitter.
— Alex McCann
6:58 p.m.
If you haven’t checked out The Post’s Instagram today — or ever — check it out here. We’ve got an Instagram story talking with students and Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, about voting.
— Alex McCann
6:30 p.m.
Good evening, and happy Election Day from all of us here at The Post. We’ve got about an hour until polls close here in Ohio.
Follow along as we update this article throughout the night with rolling updates in races in Athens and around Ohio. We’ll be adding results as they come in, plus tweets from Post reporters on the ground and photos from around Athens as election night plays out.
In the meantime, check out some of our pre-Election Day coverage:
- Why this election is different from others
- How Issue 3 wound up on ballots
- A record number of candidates this election are minorites, including here in Ohio
- The preparations that Ohio University student campaigners made for Election Day
- This week’s episode of “Swing State of Mind,” The Post’s politics podcast
You can also follow along with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.
— Alex McCann
