# 2018 Ohio gubernatorial election

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The 2018 Ohio gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Ohio, concurrently with the election of Ohio's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various Ohio and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor John Kasich was term-limited and could not seek re-election for a third consecutive term.
Republicans nominated Ohio Attorney General and former U.S. senator Mike DeWine, while Democrats nominated former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director and former Ohio attorney general Richard Cordray. This was the second contest between DeWine and Cordray, following the 2010 attorney general election, which DeWine won, 47.5% to 46.3%.
In 2018, DeWine defeated Cordray 50.4% to 46.7%, in what was considered a minor upset. Despite Cordray's loss, he became the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to win Cincinnati's Hamilton County since Dick Celeste in 1982. Likewise, DeWine became the first Republican to win in the historically Democratic Monroe County in a gubernatorial election since 2002 as the county took a sharp turn to the right. With Democratic senator Sherrod Brown winning re-election in the same year, this was the first election since 1974 in which Ohio simultaneously voted for a gubernatorial nominee and a U.S. Senate nominee of opposite parties.
DeWine and Husted took office on January 14, 2019.

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Nominated

* Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General, former U.S. senator, former lieutenant governor of Ohio, and former U.S. representative
** Running mate: Jon Husted, Ohio Secretary of State and former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives

#### Eliminated in primary

* Mary Taylor, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
** Running mate: Nathan Estruth, businessman

#### Withdrew

* Jon A. Husted, Ohio Secretary of State (running for lieutenant governor)
* Jim Renacci, U.S. representative (running for the U.S. Senate)
** Running mate: Amy Murray, Cincinnati councilwoman

### Endorsements

Notable individuals
* Zachary Hall, chairman of the Lucas County Teenage Republicans
* Julie Jakmides, Alliance Councilwoman
* David Johnson, Chair of the Columbiana County Republican Party
* Richard K. Jones, Butler County Sheriff
* Dave Levacy, Fairfield County Commissioner
* Amy Murray, Cincinnati City Council member
* Gerard Neugebauer, Green Mayor
* Rick Santorum, former United States senator from Pennsylvania and candidate for president of the United States in 2012 and 2016
U.S. representatives
* Steve Stivers (OH-15)
* Mike Turner (OH-10)
State senators
* Kevin Bacon
* Troy Balderson
* Bill Beagle
* David Burke
* Matt Dolan
* John Eklund
* Randy Gardner (Majority Leader)
* Bob Hackett
* Frank Hoagland
* Jay Hottinger
* Stephanie Kunze
* Peggy Lehner
* Gayle Manning (Majority Whip)
* Rob McColley
* Larry Obhof (President)
* Scott Oelslager
* Bob Peterson (President pro tempore)
* Joe Uecker
State representatives
* Sarah LaTourette (Assistant Majority Leader)
* Tom Patton (Majority Whip)
* Bill Reineke (Assistant Majority Whip)
* Cliff Rosenberger (Speaker)
* Gary Scherer
* Kirk Schuring (Speaker pro tempore)
County parties
* Adams County Republican Party
* Belmont County Republican Party
* Brown County Republican Party
* Clinton County Republican Party
* Columbiana County Republican Party
* Cuyahoga County Republican Party
* Franklin County Republican Party
* Fulton County Republican Party
* Greene County Republican Party
* Highland County Republican Party
* Holmes County Republican Party
* Knox County Republican Party
* Lucas County Republican Party
* Mahoning County Republican Party
* Montgomery County Republican Party
* Morgan County Republican Party
* Perry County Republican Party
* Pike County Republican Party
* Preble County Republican Party
* Scioto County Republican Party
* Summit County Republican Party
State parties
* Ohio Republican Party
Organizations
* Buckeye Firearms Association
Newspapers
* Akron Beacon Journal
* The Plain Dealer
Organizations
* Asian American GOP Coalition
* Bikers for Trump
* Citizens for Trump
Notable individuals
* Corey Lewandowski, former campaign manager of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign
U.S. senators
* Ted Cruz, U.S. senator (R-TX)
* Steve Daines, U.S. senator (R-MT)
* Mike Lee, U.S. senator (R-UT)
* Rand Paul, U.S. senator (R-KY)
Governors
* John Kasich, Ohio governor and 2016 presidential candidate
Lieutenant governors
* Billy Nungesser, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
Statewide officials
* Ken Blackwell, former secretary of state of Ohio
Notable individuals
* Michele Bachmann, former U.S. representative from Minnesota's 6th Congressional District
* Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, former lieutenant governor of Arkansas
* Seth Morgan, former Ohio state representative
State senators
* Louis Terhar
State representatives
* Tom Brinkman
* Mark Romanchuk
* Bill Seitz
* Andy Thompson
County Parties
* Miami County Republican Party
Party leaders
* Matt Gilmore, Chair of Mercer County Republican Party
Organizations
* Family Research Council
* Ohio Tea Party
* Ohioans for Concealed Carry
* Republican Liberty Caucus of Ohio
* Totally Engaged Americans

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike DeWine | Mary Taylor | Other | Undecided |
| Baldwin Wallace University | April 24 – May 2, 2018 | 323 | – | 52% | 24% | – | 25% |
| Remington Research Group (R-Taylor) | April 10, 2018 | 1,064 | ± 3.1% | 42% | 32% | – | 26% |
| Fallon Research | April 4–7, 2018 | 502 | ± 4.4% | 43% | 26% | – | 31% |
| SurveyUSA | March 16–20, 2018 | 541 | ± 5.8% | 50% | 18% | – | 31% |
| TRZ Communications (R-WTPC) | February 17, 2018 | 1,152 | ± 3.0% | 61% | 39% | – | – |
| TRZ Communications (R-WTPC) | February 17, 2018 | 1,152 | ± 3.0% | 35% | 16% | 15% | 33% |
| Fallon Research | January 16–19, 2018 | 286 | – | 54% | 14% | – | 32% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike DeWine | Jon Husted | Jim Renacci | Mary Taylor | Undecided |
| Axis Research (R-Taylor) | August 13–15, 2017 | 602 | ± 4.1% | 36% | 20% | 8% | 17% | 19% |
| The Tarrance Group (R) | July 24–26, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 18% | 5% | 11% | 24% |
| The Tarrance Group (R) | July 24–26, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 49% | 29% | – | – | 21% |
| Luntz Global | June 12, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 27% | 13% | 3% | 8% | – |
| Gravis Marketing | April 27 – May 2, 2017 | 686 | ± 2.7% | 31% | 14% | 6% | 10% | 40% |
| The Tarrance Group (R) | January 23–26, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 47% | 18% | 4% | 10% | 22% |

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike DeWine | 494,766 | 59.8 |
| | Republican | Mary Taylor | 332,273 | 40.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 827,039 | 100.0 |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominated

* Richard Cordray, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, former Ohio Attorney General, former Ohio State Treasurer, nominee for OH-15 in 1992, nominee for attorney general in 1998 and 2010, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2000
** Running mate: Betty Sutton, former U.S. representative

#### Eliminated in primary

* Larry Ealy, former male stripper and candidate for governor in 2014
** Running mate: Jeffrey Lynn
* Dennis Kucinich, former U.S. representative, former mayor of Cleveland, candidate for Secretary of State in 1982, and candidate for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008
** Running mate: Tara Samples, Akron city councilwoman
* Bill O'Neill, Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and nominee for OH-14 in 2008 and 2010
** Running mate: Chantelle Lewis, elementary school principal and former East Cleveland City Councilwoman
* Paul Ray
** Running mate: Jerry Schroeder
* Joe Schiavoni, state senator and former Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate
** Running mate: Stephanie Dodd, State Board of Education Member

#### Failed to qualify for ballot

* Jon Heavey, physician
* Dave Kiefer, former Wayne County Commissioner and Republican candidate for state representative in 2016

#### Withdrew

* Connie Pillich, former state representative and nominee for Ohio State Treasurer in 2014 (endorsed Richard Cordray)
** Running mate: Scott Schertzer, Mayor of Marion, OH
* Betty Sutton, former U.S. representative (running for lieutenant governor)
* Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton (endorsed Richard Cordray)

### Endorsements

U.S. senators
* Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts
U.S. representatives
* Steve Driehaus, former U.S. representative from Ohio
* Marcia Fudge, U.S representative from Ohio
* Marcy Kaptur, U.S. representative from Ohio
Governors
* Ted Strickland, former governor of Ohio
State representatives
* Peter Lawson Jones (former)
* Matt Lundy (former)
* Connie Pillich (former), nominee for Ohio State Treasurer in 2014, candidate for governor in 2018
* Stephen Slesnick (former)
* Fred Strahorn, Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives
Mayors
* Richard Bain, Pepper Pike
* Annette Blackwell, Maple Heights
* John Cranley, Cincinnati
* Tim DeGeeter, Parma
* Dean DePiero, Parma (former)
* Carty Finkbeiner, Toledo (former)
* Michael Gammella, Brook Park
* Andrew Ginther, Columbus
* Frank G. Jackson, Cleveland
* Wade Kapszukiewicz, Toledo
* Chase Ritenauer, Lorain
* Carol Roe, Cleveland Heights
* Don Walters, Cuyahoga Falls
* Nan Whaley, Dayton
City Council members
* Kevin Bishop, Cleveland
* Anthony Brancatelli, Cleveland
* Phyllis Cleveland, Cleveland
* Paul Colavecchio, Cuyahoga Falls
* Kevin Conwell, Cleveland
* Jeff Fusco, Akron
* Anthony Hairston, Cleveland
* Basheer Jones, Cleveland
* Brian Kazy, Cleveland
* Martin Keane, Cleveland
* Kevin Kelley, Cleveland
* Kerry McCormack, Cleveland
* Mary Nichols-Rhodes, Cuyahoga Falls
* P.G. Sittenfeld, Cincinnati
* Margo Somerville, Akron
* Matt Zone, Cleveland
County officials
* Dallas Baldwin, Franklin County Sheriff
* Steve Barry, Summit County Sheriff
* Willis Blackshear, Montgomery County Recorder
* Armond Budish, County Executive of Cuyahoga County, Ohio; former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives
* John Donofrio, Summit County Treasurer (former)
* John Ferraro, Stark County Prosecutor
* Ted Kalo, Lorain County Commissioner
* Lori Kokoski, Lorain County Commissioner
* Sandra Kurt, Summit County Clerk
* Judy Nedwick, Lorain County Recorder
* Tom Orlando, Lorain County Clerk
* Aftab Pureval, Hamilton County Clerk
* Sherri Bevan Walsh, Summit County Prosecuting Attorney
* Dennis Will, Lorain County Prosecutor
Labor unions
* AFL–CIO
* OFT – Ohio Federation of Teachers
* Ohio State Association Union of Plumbers and Pipefitters
* SEIU – Service Employees International Union
Organizations
* Franklin County Democratic Party
* Lorain County Democratic Party
* NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
* Ohio Legislative Black Caucus
* Students for Gun Legislation
Notable individuals
* Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama
* Jerry Springer, talk show host, former mayor of Cincinnati, nominee for OH-02 in 1970 and candidate for governor in 1982
* Mary Ellen Withrow, former U.S. Treasurer
Newspapers
* Akron Beacon Journal
* Kenyon Collegian
* The Vindicator
Organizations
* Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus
* National Nurses United
* Our Revolution, progressive organization started from Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign
Governors
* Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota
U.S. representatives
* Alan Grayson (former)
* Tulsi Gabbard
State senators
* Nina Turner (former)
County officials
* Todd Portune, Hamilton County Commissioner
City Council members
* Chris Seelbach, Cincinnati
Notable individuals
* Jimmy Dore, comedian and political commentator
* Josh Fox, filmmaker and environmental activist
* Danny Glover, actor, film director and political activist
* Robert F. Kennedy Jr, environmental attorney, activist, and son of Robert F. Kennedy
* Dave Matthews, musician and actor
* Richard Stallman, hacktivist
Newspapers
* The Plain Dealer
Political organizations
* Democratic Progressives of Ohio
* Mahoning County Democratic Party
* Trumbull County Democratic Party
Labor unions
* Canton Professional Educators' Association
* Pickaway Dems – Citizens in Action
* UWUA – Utility Workers Union of America
* Western Reserve Building & Construction Trades Council
Notable individuals
* Ed O'Neill, actor
Governors
* Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania and former Democratic National Committee Chairman
State representatives
* Kathleen Chandler (former)
* Catherine Ingram
* Brigid Kelly
Mayors
* Jim Brown, Lockland
* Charles Johnson, Forest Park
* Dick Mavis, Mount Vernon
* LaVerne Mitchell, Lincoln Heights (former)
* Earl Schmidt, Reading (former)
* John Smith, Silverton
* James C. Wolf, Mount Healthy
Notable individuals
* Denise Driehaus, Hamilton County commissioner and former state representative
* David S. Mann, Vice Mayor of Cincinnati, former mayor of Cincinnati, and former U.S. representative
* Alice Robie Resnick, former justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio
Labor unions
* Cincinnati Building Trades
* UNITE HERE Local 24
Organizations
* EMILY's List
* VoteVets.org
U.S. representatives
* Marcia Fudge, Ohio
* Marcy Kaptur, Ohio
Labor unions
* Akron Education Association
* Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council
* IAFF – International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1690
* IBEW – International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 38
* International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local Lodge 900
* International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO Local 1768
* IUPAT – International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6
* Laborers Local 860, Cleveland
* Lorain Professional Firefighters Local 267
* Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #219
* Teamsters Local 436
Mayors
* Dick Church, Jr., Miamisburg
* Warren Copeland, Springfield
* John Cranley, Cincinnati
* Luke Feeney, Chillicothe
* Ben Kessler, Bexley
* Steven Patterson, Athens
* David Seagraves, Brookville
* Cheryl Stephens, Cleveland Heights
City Council members
* Elizabeth Brown, Columbus
* Jaiza Page, Columbus
* Lindsay Webb, Toledo
County officials
* Judy Dodge, Montgomery County Commissioner
* Dan Foley, Montgomery County Commissioner
* Paul Gruner, Montgomery County Engineer
* Larry Hartlaub, Ottawa County Auditor
* Mat Heck, Jr., Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorney
* Karl Keith, Montgomery County Auditor
* Debbie Lieberman, Montgomery County Commissioner
* Carolyn Rice, Montgomery County Treasurer
* Liz Walters, Summit County Council
Labor unions
* Dayton Building & Construction Trades Council
* IUE-CWA – International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers
* Ohio State Council of Machinists

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Richard Cordray | Dennis Kucinich | Bill O'Neill | Connie Pillich | Joe Schiavoni | Other | Undecided |
| Baldwin Wallace University | April 24 – May 2, 2018 | 333 | – | 31% | 15% | 6% | – | 6% | – | 41% |
| Fallon Research | April 4–7, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 28% | 13% | 3% | – | 5% | 1% | 51% |
| SurveyUSA | March 16–20, 2018 | 509 | ± 5.3% | 21% | 21% | 4% | 5% | – | 3% | 46% |
| Fallon Research | January 16–19, 2018 | 248 | – | 23% | 16% | 3% | 2% | 4% | – | 52% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Richard Cordray | Connie Pillich | Joe Schiavoni | Betty Sutton | Nan Whaley | Undecided |
| Luntz Global | June 12, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 17% | 9% | 20% | 21% | 10% | – |
| Gravis Marketing | April 27 – May 2, 2017 | 558 | ± 2.7% | – | 8% | 12% | 13% | – | 67% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Richard Cordray | 423,264 | 62.3 |
| | Democratic | Dennis Kucinich | 155,694 | 22.9 |
| | Democratic | Joe Schiavoni | 62,315 | 9.2 |
| | Democratic | Bill O'Neill | 22,196 | 3.3 |
| | Democratic | Paul Ray | 9,373 | 1.4 |
| | Democratic | Larry Ealy | 6,896 | 1.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 679,738 | 100.0 |

## Libertarian primary
### Candidates
#### Nominated

* Travis Irvine, filmmaker and writer
** Running mate: Todd Grayson

#### Withdrew

* Bruce Jaynes, entrepreneur
* Stephen Quinn, student

## Green primary
### Candidates
#### Nominated

* Constance Gadell-Newton, attorney, co-chair of the Ohio Green Party and nominee for the State House in 2016
** Running mate: Brett R. Joseph

## General election
### Candidates

* Richard Cordray (Democratic), former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, former Ohio Attorney General and former Ohio State Treasurer
** Running mate: Betty Sutton, former U.S. representative
* Mike DeWine (Republican), Ohio Attorney General and former U.S. senator
** Running mate: Jon A. Husted, Secretary of State of Ohio and former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives
* Constance Gadell-Newton (Green), attorney, co-chair of the Ohio Green Party and nominee for the State House in 2016
** Running mate: Brett R. Joseph, attorney, educator and small businessman
* Travis Irvine (Libertarian)
** Running mate: Todd Grayson, former Perrysburg City Councilman

### Endorsements

Former federal officials
* Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States
* Eric Holder, 82nd United States attorney general
* Valerie Jarrett, former director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs
* Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States
U.S. senators
* Cory Booker, New Jersey
* Sherrod Brown, Ohio
* Kamala Harris, California
* Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts
U.S. representatives
* Steve Driehaus, U.S. representative (OH-1) (former)
* Marcia Fudge, U.S representative (OH-11)
* Marcy Kaptur, U.S. representative (OH-9)
* Tim Ryan, U.S. representative (OH-13)
Governors
* Jay Inslee, governor of Washington
* Terry McAuliffe, former governor of Virginia
* Ted Strickland, former governor of Ohio
State representatives
* Peter Lawson Jones (former)
* Matt Lundy (former)
* Connie Pillich (former), nominee for Ohio State Treasurer in 2014, candidate for governor in 2018
* Stephen Slesnick (former)
* Fred Strahorn, Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives
Mayors
* Richard Bain, Pepper Pike
* Annette Blackwell, Maple Heights
* John Cranley, Cincinnati
* Tim DeGeeter, Parma
* Dean DePiero, Parma (former)
* Carty Finkbeiner, Toledo (former)
* Michael Gammella, Brook Park
* Andrew Ginther, Columbus
* Frank G. Jackson, Cleveland
* Wade Kapszukiewicz, Toledo
* Chase Ritenauer, Lorain
* Carol Roe, Cleveland Heights
* Don Walters, Cuyahoga Falls
* Nan Whaley, Dayton
City Council members
* Kevin Bishop, Cleveland
* Anthony Brancatelli, Cleveland
* Phyllis Cleveland, Cleveland
* Paul Colavecchio, Cuyahoga Falls
* Kevin Conwell, Cleveland
* Jeff Fusco, Akron
* Anthony Hairston, Cleveland
* Basheer Jones, Cleveland
* Brian Kazy, Cleveland
* Martin Keane, Cleveland
* Kevin Kelley, Cleveland
* Kerry McCormack, Cleveland
* Mary Nichols-Rhodes, Cuyahoga Falls
* P.G. Sittenfeld, Cincinnati
* Margo Somerville, Akron
* Matt Zone, Cleveland
County officials
* Dallas Baldwin, Franklin County Sheriff
* Steve Barry, Summit County Sheriff
* Willis Blackshear, Montgomery County Recorder
* Armond Budish, County Executive of Cuyahoga County, Ohio; former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives
* John Donofrio, Summit County Treasurer (former)
* John Ferraro, Stark County Prosecutor
* Ted Kalo, Lorain County Commissioner
* Lori Kokoski, Lorain County Commissioner
* Sandra Kurt, Summit County Clerk
* Judy Nedwick, Lorain County Recorder
* Tom Orlando, Lorain County Clerk
* Aftab Pureval, Hamilton County Clerk
* Sherri Bevan Walsh, Summit County Prosecuting Attorney
* Dennis Will, Lorain County Prosecutor
Notable individuals
* Kelley Deal, musician
* John Legend, singer
* Jerry Springer, talk show host, former mayor of Cincinnati, nominee for OH-02 in 1970 and candidate for governor in 1982
Labor unions
* AFL–CIO
* FOP – Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio
* OEA – Ohio Education Association
* OFT – Ohio Federation of Teachers
* Ohio State Association Union of Plumbers and Pipefitters
* SEIU – Service Employees International Union
* UAW – United Automobile Workers
* USW – United Steelworkers
Organizations
* Democratic Progressives of Ohio
* Human Rights Campaign
* NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
* Ohio Legislative Black Caucus
Federal officials
* Mike Pence, vice president of the United States
* Donald Trump, president of the United States
Governors
* John Kasich, Governor of Ohio
U.S. senators
* Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
* Rob Portman, Ohio
U.S. representatives
* Troy Balderson, U.S. representative (OH-12)
* Steve Stivers, U.S. representative (OH-15)
* Mike Turner, U.S. representative (OH-10)
State senators
* Kevin Bacon
* Bill Beagle
* David Burke
* Matt Dolan
* John Eklund
* Randy Gardner (Majority Leader)
* Bob Hackett
* Frank Hoagland
* Jay Hottinger
* Stephanie Kunze
* Peggy Lehner
* Gayle Manning (Majority Whip)
* Rob McColley
* Larry Obhof (President)
* Scott Oelslager
* Bob Peterson (President pro tempore)
* Joe Uecker
State representatives
* Sarah LaTourette (Assistant Majority Leader)
* Bill Patmon (Democratic)
* Tom Patton (Majority Whip)
* Bill Reineke (Assistant Majority Whip)
* Cliff Rosenberger (Speaker)
* Gary Scherer
* Kirk Schuring (Speaker pro tempore)
Notable individuals
* Julie Jakmides, Alliance Councilwoman
* David Johnson, Chair of the Columbiana County Republican Party
* Richard K. Jones, Butler County Sheriff
* Dave Levacy, Fairfield County Commissioner
* Amy Murray, Cincinnati City Council member
* Gerard Neugebauer, Green Mayor
* Rick Santorum, former United States senator from Pennsylvania and candidate for president of the United States in 2012 and 2016
* J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy
Labor unions
* IKORCC – Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of the Carpenters
* IUOE – International Union of Operating Engineers
Organizations
* Buckeye Firearms Association
* National Federation of Independent Business
* NRA Political Victory Fund
* Ohio Chamber of Commerce
* Ohio Manufacturers' Association
* Ohio Society of CPAs
* Ohio State Medical Association
Newspapers
* The Intelligencer
* Tribune Chronicle

### Debates

| Host network/sponsors | Location | Date | Link(s) | Possible Participants | Possible Participants | Possible Participants | Possible Participants |
| Host network/sponsors | Location | Date | Link(s) | Richard Cordray (D) | Mike DeWine (R) | Travis Irvine (L) | Constance Gadell-Newton (G) |
| WHIO-TV | University of Dayton | September 19, 2018 | | Invited | Invited | Not Invited | Not Invited |
| WCMH-TV | Marietta College | October 1, 2018 | | Invited | Invited | Not Invited | Not Invited |
| Ohio Debate Commission | Cleveland State University | October 8, 2018 | | Invited | Invited | Not Invited | Not Invited |

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | October 26, 2018 |
| The Washington Post | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| FiveThirtyEight | Lean D (flip) | November 5, 2018 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Tossup | November 1, 2018 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D (flip) | November 5, 2018 |
| RealClearPolitics | Tossup | November 4, 2018 |
| Daily Kos | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| Fox News | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| Politico | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| Governing | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |

#### Notes

* ↑ The Fox News Midterm Power Rankings uniquely does not contain a category for Safe/Solid races

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike DeWine (R) | Richard Cordray (D) | Travis Irvine (L) | Constance Gadell- Newton (G) | Other | Undecided |
| Change Research | November 2–4, 2018 | 923 | – | 43% | 48% | 5% | 1% | – | – |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | November 2–4, 2018 | 1,948 | ± 2.2% | 42% | 46% | – | – | 7% | 5% |
| Research Co. | November 1–3, 2018 | 450 | ± 4.6% | 44% | 44% | – | – | 2% | 10% |
| Cygnal (R) | October 30–31, 2018 | 503 | ± 4.4% | 43% | 43% | 3% | 2% | – | 9% |
| Gravis Marketing | October 29–30, 2018 | 789 | ± 3.5% | 43% | 48% | – | – | – | 9% |
| Emerson College | October 26–28, 2018 | 566 | ± 4.3% | 46% | 49% | – | – | 2% | 3% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | October 19–27, 2018 | 1,051 | ± 3.8% | 39% | 39% | 4% | 2% | – | 16% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | October 19–27, 2018 | 1,051 | ± 3.8% | 41% | 42% | – | – | – | 17% |
| Suffolk University | October 4–8, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 40% | 46% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 10% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | September 8 – October 8, 2018 | 1,017 | ± 3.5% | 40% | 37% | 4% | 3% | – | 15% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | September 8 – October 8, 2018 | 1,017 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 39% | – | – | – | 19% |
| University of Akron | September 10 – October 4, 2018 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 37% | 36% | – | – | – | 27% |
| Ipsos | September 13–21, 2018 | 1,074 | ± 3.0% | 45% | 44% | – | – | 2% | 9% |
| Triton Polling & Research (R) | September 18–20, 2018 | 1,003 | ± 3.1% | 49% | 44% | – | – | – | 8% |
| Marist College | September 16–20, 2018 | 564 LV | ± 5.0% | 44% | 44% | 3% | 3% | <1% | 6% |
| Marist College | September 16–20, 2018 | 564 LV | ± 5.0% | 47% | 47% | – | – | 1% | 6% |
| Marist College | September 16–20, 2018 | 796 RV | ± 4.2% | 42% | 43% | 4% | 4% | 1% | 6% |
| Marist College | September 16–20, 2018 | 796 RV | ± 4.2% | 47% | 47% | – | – | 1% | 6% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | September 5–15, 2018 | 1,048 | ± 3.6% | 42% | 37% | – | – | – | 21% |
| Morning Consult | September 2–11, 2018 | 1,592 | ± 2.0% | 39% | 38% | – | – | – | 23% |
| Change Research (D-Innovation Ohio) | August 31 – September 4, 2018 | 822 | ± 3.0% | 45% | 43% | 6% | 3% | – | – |
| Change Research (D-Innovation Ohio) | August 31 – September 4, 2018 | 822 | ± 3.0% | 43% | 43% | – | – | – | 14% |
| TRZ Communications (R-WTPC) | June 30 – July 10, 2018 | 1,485 | ± 3.0% | 42% | 38% | – | – | 3% | 17% |
| Marist College | June 17–22, 2018 | 778 | ± 4.4% | 46% | 42% | – | – | 2% | 11% |
| Quinnipiac University | June 7–12, 2018 | 1,082 | ± 3.7% | 40% | 42% | – | – | 2% | 14% |
| Suffolk University | June 6–11, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 36% | 43% | – | 3% | 2% | 16% |
| America First Action (R) | May 29–31, 2018 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 45% | 38% | – | – | – | 10% |
| Fallon Research | May 21–25, 2018 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 40% | 34% | – | 1% | 3% | 22% |
| Public Policy Polling (D-Ohio Democratic Party) | May 6–7, 2018 | 618 | ± 3.9% | 39% | 44% | – | – | – | 17% |
| Public Policy Polling (D-Ohio Democratic Party) | April 25–26, 2018 | 770 | ± 3.5% | 38% | 47% | – | – | – | 14% |
| SurveyUSA | March 16–20, 2018 | 1,408 | ± 3.5% | 47% | 39% | – | – | – | 14% |
| Public Policy Polling (D-Ohio Democratic Party) | January 22–23, 2018 | 585 | ± 4.1% | 45% | 44% | – | – | – | 11% |
| Fallon Research | January 16–19, 2018 | 801 | ± 3.5% | 49% | 28% | – | – | – | 23% |
| Luntz Global | June 12, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 55% | 31% | – | – | – | 14% |
with DeWine and Kucinich
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike DeWine (R) | Dennis Kucinich (D) | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | March 16–20, 2018 | 1,408 | ± 3.5% | 51% | 38% | 12% |
| Public Policy Polling (D-Ohio Democratic Party) | January 22–23, 2018 | 585 | ± 4.1% | 48% | 37% | 14% |
with DeWine and Pillich
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike DeWine (R) | Connie Pillich (D) | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling (D-Ohio Democratic Party) | January 22–23, 2018 | 585 | ± 4.1% | 47% | 35% | 18% |
with Jon Husted
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jon Husted (R) | Richard Cordray (D) | Undecided |
| Luntz Global | June 12, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 47% | 35% | 18% |
with generic Republican and Democrat
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Generic Republican | Generic Democrat | Undecided |
| Baldwin Wallace University | February 28 – March 9, 2018 | 1,011 | ± 3.0% | 37% | 32% | – |

### Results

Ohio gubernatorial election, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Mike DeWine | 2,235,825 | 50.40% | −13.24% |
| | Democratic | Richard Cordray | 2,070,046 | 46.67% | +13.64% |
| | Libertarian | Travis Irvine | 80,055 | 1.80% | N/A |
| | Green | Constance Gadell-Newton | 49,536 | 1.12% | −2.21% |
| | Write-in | Renea Turner (write-in) | 185 | 0.00% | N/A |
| | Write-in | Richard Duncan (write-in) | 132 | 0.00% | N/A |
| | Write-in | Rebecca Ayres (write-in) | 41 | 0.00% | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,435,820 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Monroe (largest city: Woodsfield)

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Cuyahoga (largest city: Cleveland)
* Franklin (largest city: Columbus)
* 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 12 of 16 congressional districts.
| District | DeWine | Cordray | Representative |
| 1st | 52.15% | 45.14% | Steve Chabot |
| 2nd | 54.33% | 42.65% | Brad Wenstrup |
| 3rd | 27.46% | 70.09% | Joyce Beatty |
| 4th | 62.14% | 34.23% | Jim Jordan |
| 5th | 58.32% | 38.31% | Bob Latta |
| 6th | 64.34% | 32.81% | Bill Johnson |
| 7th | 59.45% | 37.16% | Bob Gibbs |
| 8th | 64.37% | 32.45% | Warren Davidson |
| 9th | 35.31% | 61.33% | Marcy Kaptur |
| 10th | 52.11% | 44.87% | Mike Turner |
| 11th | 18.43% | 79.5% | Marcia Fudge |
| 12th | 52.41% | 45.24% | Troy Balderson |
| 13th | 40.37% | 56.56% | Tim Ryan |
| 14th | 51.98% | 45.18% | David Joyce |
| 15th | 52.64% | 44.64% | Steve Stivers |
| 16th | 53.71% | 43.38% | Anthony Gonzalez |