2010 Ohio gubernatorial election


The 2010 Ohio gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Ohio Ted Strickland ran for re-election to a second term as governor and was opposed by former United States Congressman John Kasich; both Strickland and Kasich won their respective primaries uncontested. The race between the two major candidates was prolonged and brutal, with both candidates employing various campaign surrogates to bolster their campaigns. Ultimately, Kasich narrowly defeated Strickland in one of Ohio's closest gubernatorial elections in history.
Strickland's loss was widely attributed to the decline of Ohio's economy, as well as the loss of 400,000 jobs since the beginning of his term. The policies of the then-president Barack Obama proved to be a hot topic among voters, with Strickland voicing his support for the healthcare overhauls initiated by Obama's administration, contrary to Kasich, who attacked the policies.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Republican primary

Candidates

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Green primary

Candidates

General election

Polling

Results

When the polls closed on election night, the race was very close, with Stickland and Kasich neck and neck. As the night wore on, Kasich's lead began to pick up strength, however once Cuyahoga County came in, Strickland began to erode away at Kasich's lead. In the end Kasich still won, but it was still one of the closest gubernatorial elections in Ohio history. Strickland conceded at around 2 A.M. EST.