The 2022 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the

governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

. Incumbent Republican governor

Mike DeWine Richard Michael DeWine ( ; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th List of governors of Ohio, governor of Ohio since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served a ...

won re-election to a second term in a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

, defeating Democratic nominee Nan Whaley, the former mayor of

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, 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 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

has won re-election by a double-digit margin. This was the first time since

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 Robert Jones Portman (born December 19, 1955) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Ohio from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Portman was the 35th director of the Office of Management ...

also won by over 20 points and nearly 60% of the vote.

Republican primary

Incumbent governor

faced backlash from Republicans due to having implemented strict

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

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 James B. Renacci ( ; born December 3, 1958) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he is a former city council president and two-ter ...

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 James Allen Rhodes (September 13, 1909 – March 4, 2001) was an American attorney and Republican politician who served as the 61st and 63rd Governor of Ohio from 1963 to 1971 and from 1975 to 1983. Rhodes was one of only seven U.S. governors ...

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

and the first to have multiple challengers since

Michael Disalle Michael Vincent DiSalle (January 6, 1908September 16, 1981) was the 60th governor of Ohio, serving from 1959 to 1963. A Democrat, he was a member of the Toledo City Council and served as the 46th mayor of Toledo from 1948 to 1950. Early lif ...

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

. 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 In the United States, the term constitutional carry, also called permitless carry, unrestricted carry, or Vermont carry, refers to the legal public carrying of a handgun, either openly or concealed, without a license or permit. The phrase does ...

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

, incumbent

(2019–present), 50th

attorney general of Ohio The Ohio attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio attorney general is Republican Dave Yost. History The office of the att ...

(2011–2019), former

U.S. senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

(1995–2007), 59th

lieutenant governor of Ohio The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes Governor of Ohio, governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed via impeachment conviction. Before 1852, the president of the Oh ...

, and former U.S. representative for

Ohio's 7th congressional district Ohio's 7th congressional district is represented by Max Miller. It is currently located in the northeastern section of the state, including southern and western Cuyahoga County, all of Medina and Wayne Counties, and a sliver of northern Holm ...

(1983–1991) ** Running mate:

Jon Husted Jon Allen Husted ( ; born August 25, 1967) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Ohio since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, Husted served as the 66th lieutenant governor of Ohio from 2019 to 2025 an ...

, incumbent

(2019–present)

Eliminated in primary

*Joe Blystone, farmer ** Running mate: Jeremiah Workman,

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

veteran; Restaurateur Joanna Swallen, Blystone's original running mate, withdrew *

Ron Hood Ronald Edward Hood (June 2, 1969 – April 19, 2025) was an American Republican legislator in the Ohio House of Representatives. He represented the 78th District. He also represented, at various times, both the 57th and the 91st districts. Hood ...

, former

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

from the 78th District (2013–2020), 91st District (2005–2006), 57th District (1995–2000), and candidate for OH-15 in

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

** Running mate:

Candice Keller Candice Keller (born ) is an American politician and former state representative for the 53rd District of the Ohio House of Representatives, which includes part of Butler County, Ohio, Butler County. A Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, former

from the 53rd District (2016–2020) *

, former U.S. representative for (2011–2019) and nominee for U.S. Senate in

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

** Running mate: Joe Knopp, Christian film producer

Declined

Warren Davidson Warren Earl Davidson (born March 1, 1970) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Ohio's 8th congressional district since 2016. The district includes a s ...

, U.S. representative for (2016–present) ''( ran for re-election)'' *

(2019–present) ''(ran for re-election)'' *

Jim Jordan James Daniel Jordan (born February 17, 1964) is an American politician who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative for since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. ...

, U.S. representative for (2007–present) ''( ran for re-election)'' *

Josh Mandel Joshua Aaron Mandel (born September 27, 1977) is an American politician who served as the 48th treasurer of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the Ohio State Representative for the 17th district from 2 ...

, former

Ohio state treasurer The treasurer of the U.S. state of Ohio is responsible for collecting and safeguarding taxes and fees, as well as managing state investments. The Treasury was located in the Ohio Statehouse from 1861 to 1974, when it was moved to the Rhodes Stat ...

(2011–2019), nominee for U.S. Senate in

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, and candidate for U.S. Senate in

''( ran for U.S. Senate)'' *

Dave Yost David Anthony Yost (born December 22, 1956) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the 51st attorney general of Ohio since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Yost previously served as the state auditor of Ohio from 2011 to ...

Attorney General of Ohio The Ohio attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio attorney general is Republican Dave Yost. History The office of the att ...

(2019–present) and former

Ohio state auditor The Ohio state auditor (formally known as the auditor of state) is responsible for auditing all the public offices of the state of Ohio. The auditor is elected to a four-year term. The current auditor is Keith Faber. References External li ...

(2011–2019) ''(ran for re-election)''

Endorsements

Polling

Graphical summary

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominated

* Nan Whaley, former mayor of

(2014–2022) and candidate in

** Running mate: Cheryl Stephens,

Cuyahoga County Council The Cuyahoga County Council is the legislature, legislative branch of the Local government in the United States, government of Cuyahoga County in Ohio. Cuyahoga, along with Summit County, Ohio, Summit, is one of only two of Ohio's List of counties ...

vice president

Eliminated in primary

John Cranley John Joseph Cranley (born February 28, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 69th Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 2013 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a member of the Cincinnati City Council and a partner ...

, former

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

(2013–2022) and nominee for OH-01 in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

** Running mate:

Teresa Fedor Teresa Fedor (born May 2, 1956) is an American politician from Ohio. She was a member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 11th district from 2019 until her resignation in 2022. A member of the Ohio General Assembly since 2001, Fedor previously re ...

, state senator from Ohio's 11th senatorial district

Withdrawn

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 193 ...

, voice-over artist

Declined

* Tim Ryan, U.S. representative for (2003–2023) and candidate for

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

''( ran for U.S. Senate)'' *

Emilia Sykes Emilia Strong Sykes (born January 4, 1986) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), D ...

, Minority Leader of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

(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 A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

from Huber Heights ** Running mate: Michael V Stewart

Endorsements

General election

Predictions

Post-primary endorsements

Polling

Aggregate polls
Graphical summary
Mike DeWine vs. John Cranley

Results

2022 Ohio United States Gubernatorial election by State Senate District

2022 Ohio United States Gubernatorial election by State House District

According to a survey conducted by NORC for

Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...

and the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, 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 Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

(largest city:

) *

Lorain Lorain may refer to: Places * Lorain, Ohio * Lorain, Pennsylvania * Lorain, Wisconsin * Lorain County, Ohio ** Lorain County Community College * Lorain Township, Minnesota People * René Lorain (born 1900), French athlete * Sophie Lorain, Canadi ...

(largest city:

) *

Lucas Lucas or LUCAS may refer to: People * Lucas (surname) * Lucas (given name) Arts and entertainment * Luca Family Singers, or the Lucas, a 19th-century African-American singing group * Lucas, a 1960s Swedish pop group formed by Janne Lucas Perss ...

(largest city:

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

) * Mahoning (largest city:

Youngstown Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...

) *

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

(largest city:

Akron Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 census. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had ...

) * Trumbull (largest city:

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

)

By congressional district

DeWine won 13 of 15 congressional districts, including three that elected Democrats.https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::64d56870-70ea-4f4d-b667-9a4fd60ac511

Analysis

Voter demographics

Voter demographic data was collected by

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

. The voter survey is based on

exit poll An election exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately after they have exited the polling stations. A similar poll conducted before actual voters have voted is called an entrance poll. Pollsters – usually private companies working fo ...

s. There were 3,772 total respondents.

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links

Official campaign websites
Mike DeWine (R) for Governor

Nan Whaley (D) for Governor

Tim Grady (I) for Governor
{{2022 United States elections

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

Gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

November 2022 in the United States

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominated

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominated

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Independents

Candidates

Disqualified

Endorsements

General election

Predictions

Post-primary endorsements

Polling

Results

By county

By congressional district

Analysis

Voter demographics

See also

Notes

References

External links