SW Ohio Republicans heading back to D.C. after re-election
Republicans kept each of the four U.S. House seats in the Dayton region, fighting off challenges from Democrats who sought to ride a hoped-for “blue-wave” into office.
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, will return to Congress for the ninth time to represent Ohio’s 10th District.
Theresa Gasper, the Democrat in the race, pledged to return on the ballot in 2020.
Turner, the former Dayton mayor, bested Gasper, a Beavercreek businesswoman. Turner won 56 percent to 42.1 percent, according to unofficial results.
“I want to thank the people of the Miami Valley and the 10th Congressional District for their support,” Turner said. “This has been a great day for democracy. People have poured out to vote across the country.”
Gasper said she was “honored to have had the opportunity to run for this congressional seat and the chance to represent my home, even though the results were not in our favor.”
“After tonight, our work continues, and I hope that many more join our fight,” Gasper said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, beat Democrat Aftab Pureval. Chabot led Pureval 51.6 percent to 46.6 percent in unofficial results.
Ohio’s 1st District includes all of Warren County and most of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Chabot shellacked Pureval in Warren County, where the Democrat had sought to make inroads with suburban voters. Unofficial results show Chabot led Pureval there 65.8 percent to 32.1 percent.
Elsewhere in southwest Ohio, Congressmen Warren Davidson and Jim Jordan will return to the U.S. House in January.
Davidson, R-Troy, represents Springfield in the 4th District and won his election in the 8th District over Vanessa Enoch. The Republican was re-elected to his second full term to the congressional seat.
Jordan, R-Urbana, easily won re-election in the 8th District over Janet Garrett. Jordan said Wednesday he intends to run for House minority leader.
The 4th Congressional District stretches from Champaign County all the way to Elyria, near Cleveland. The district also includes Shelby, Auglaize and Logan counties.
Davidson was first elected to the seat after he won a special election in June 2016 to replace former House speaker John Boehner. The seat has been held by a Republican since redistricting moved the congressional district to southwest Ohio and the Miami Valley in 1970.
The 8th Congressional District stretches from the shores of Grand Lake St. Mary’s along its northern borders to just before the northern portion of the Interstate 275 loop in Greater Cincinnati and encompasses all of Butler, Clark, Darke, Miami and Preble counties and the southernmost portion of Mercer County.