Ohio's 18th congressional district


The 18th congressional district of Ohio is an obsolete congressional district last represented by Republican Bob Gibbs. The district voted for the majority party in the House of Representatives in every election since 1954.
After the 2010 census, Ohio lost two congressional seats, and the 18th district became obsolete after the 2012 elections. The territory of the 18th district was divided and placed into several other Ohio districts. A large portion of this district, including Congressman Gibbs' home in Holmes County, became part of the new 7th district in 2013.

List of members representing the district

Election results

The following chart shows historic election results. Bold type indicates victor. Italic type indicates incumbent.
YearDemocratic candidateRepublican candidateOther candidate
1832Benjamin Jones : 3,037Samuel Quinby: 2,379
1834Benjamin Jones : 2,746Samuel Quinby : 2,550
1836Matthias Shepler : 4,384Samuel Quinby : 3,325
1838David A. Starkweather : 6,154Hiram B. Wellman : 4,010
1840Ezra Dean : 6,508Levi Cox : 5,399
1842Ezra Dean : 3,529George Wellhouse : 1,517
John McDowell : 99
1844David A. Starkweather : 6,981John Augustine : 5,449
Arvine Wales : 162
1846Samuel Lahm : 4,651David A. Starkweather : 4,530
James Irvin : 116
1848David K. Cartter : 6,682Samuel Hemphill : 4,448
1850David K. Cartter : 5,754John Brown : 3,447
1852George Bliss : 6,140Darius Lyman : 5,307
Thomas Earl : 1,708
Lucius V. Bierce : 446
1854Ebenezer Spalding : 5,053Benjamin F. Leiter : 8,738
1856Samuel Lahm : 6,794Benjamin F. Leiter : 9,394
1858J. L. Ranney : 7,162Sidney Edgerton : 8,184
1860David A. Starkweather : 6,956Sidney Edgerton : 9,720
1862David R. Paige, Sr. : 4,183Rufus P. Spalding : 9,293
1864Jeptha H. Wade : 6,661Rufus P. Spalding : 14,472
1866Oliver H. Payne : 7,974Rufus P. Spalding : 14,479
1868Franklin T. Backus : 11,980William H. Upson : 18,359
1870John M. Coffinberry : 6,695William H. Upson : 11,053John D. Taylor : 448
1872Norton S. Townshend : 10,298James Monroe : 14,662G. W. McNeil : 67
1874John K. McBride : 10,095James Monroe : 12,229H. F. Miller : 105
1876John J. Hall : 12,772James Monroe : 16,906S. H. McCollister : 52
1878Daniel T. Lawson : 12,593Jonathan T. Updegraff : 15,320George Smith : 2,231
David P. Lawson : 90
William M. Grimes : 37
1880David I. Wadsworth : 13,474Addison S. McClure : 18,570Peter J. Rice : 310
Ferdinand Schumacher : 205
1882Jonathan H. Wallace : 16,898William McKinley : 16,906Lemuel T. Foster : 976
James A. Brush : 261
1884Jonathan H. Wallace : 16,309Isaac H. Taylor : 22,459Charles Jenkins : 907
Albert R. Silver : 106
W. M. Cope : 82
1886Wallace H. Phelps : 16,217William McKinley : 18,776Isaiah S. Hahn : 1,853
Charles Jenkins : 1,419
1888George P. Ikirt : 21,150William McKinley : 25,249Lambelis P. Logan : 1,498
George W. Thornburg : 331
Isaiah Little : 38
1890Henry H. McFadden : 11,783Joseph D. Taylor : 16,993S. W. Wilkins : 1,568
1892George P. Ikirt : 22,600Thomas R. Morgan : 21,389Matthew B. Shay : 1,682
John W. Northrup : 1,218
1894Edward S. Raff : 11,051Robert W. Tayler : 20,830Jacob S. Coxey, Sr. : 8,912
Enos H. Brosius : 1,679
1896Isaac R. Sherwood : 24,770Robert W. Tayler : 29,814James L. Swan : 476
1898Charles C. Weybrecht : 19,575Robert Walker Tayler : 22,635George C. Harvey : 614
Samuel Borton : 686
L. B. Logan : 212
1900John H. Morris : 25,026Robert Walker Tayler : 31,479Alvin C. Van Dyke : 138
Charles F. Bough : 909
Henry O. Bucklin : 143
1902William J. Foley : 16,472James Kennedy : 22,461Thomas J. Duffy : 7,923
Enos H. Brosius : 886
1904W. J. Foley : 16,472James Kennedy : 36,939Daniel J. Smith : 1,861
John T. Jenkins : 2,522
1906John C. Welty : 17,840James Kennedy : 19,684Leslie Hawk : 1,299
John Evans : 932
1908John J. Whitacre : 29,040James Kennedy : 32,287Robert J. Wheeler : 2,551
Elias Jenkins : 2,998
1910John J. Whitacre : 23,568James Kennedy : 20,617Thomas Williams : 4,907
Elias Jenkins : 1,462
1912John J. Whitacre : 23,936Roscoe C. McCulloch : 23,350George F. Lelansky : 7,617
1914William S. King : 22,476David Hollingsworth : 23,650Fred White : 2,936
V. A. Schreiber : 1,341
W. K. Weaver : 1,076
1916William B. Francis : 24,538David Hollingsworth : 26,991Robert Carson : 2,621
1918William B. Francis : 20,272B. Frank Murphy : 22,899
1920Albert O. Barnes: 32,802B. Frank Murphy: 52,862
1922Marion Huffman: 25,449B. Frank Murphy: 41,572Jacob S. Coxey Sr.: 5,907
1924James M. Barton: 26,656B. Frank Murphy: 56,206Charles Coleman: 1,931
1926John F. Nolan: 19,341B. Frank Murphy: 36,599
1928John J. Whitacre: 31,422B. Frank Murphy: 71,378Frank Sepech : 317
Jacob S. Coxey Sr. : 2
1930Emerson Campbell: 30,815B. Frank Murphy: 47,096
1932Lawrence E. Imhoff: 56,562B. Frank Murphy: 56,010
1934Lawrence E. Imhoff: 49,160B. Frank Murphy: 39,642
1936Lawrence E. Imhoff: 83,052Earl R. Lewis: 54,119
1938Lawrence E. Imhoff: 55,809Earl R. Lewis: 56,468
1940Lawrence E. Imhoff: 79,718Earl R. Lewis: 66,666
1942Lawrence E. Imhoff: 37,951Earl R. Lewis: 43,279
1944Ross Michener: 63,098Earl R. Lewis: 65,847
1946Eugene A. Blum: 38,606Earl R. Lewis: 55,140
1948Wayne Hays: 65,475Earl R. Lewis: 55,455
1950Wayne Hays: 58,295Robert L. Quinn: 56,508
1952Wayne Hays: 78,277Clarence L. Wetzel: 62,081
1954Wayne Hays: 59,165Walter J. Hunston: 44,143
1956Wayne Hays: 78,962Joseph Miller: 53,627
1958Wayne Hays: 88,813Francis Wallace: 35,322
1960Wayne Hays: 96,474Walter J. Hunston: 50,698
1962Wayne Hays: 66,327John J. Carrigg: 42,336
1964Wayne Hays: 94,768Allen J. Dalrymple: 42,960
1966Wayne Hays: 73,657William H. Weir: 41,165
1968Wayne Hays: 96,711James F. Sutherland: 63,747
1970Wayne Hays: 82,071Robert Stewart: 38,104
1972Wayne Hays: 128,663Robert Stewart: 54,572
1974Wayne Hays: 90,447Ralph H. Romig: 47,385
1976Douglas Applegate*: 116,901Ralph R. McCoy: 45,735William Crabbe: 21,537
John Dwight Bashline: 1,661
1978Douglas Applegate: 71,894William J. Ress: 48,931
1980Douglas Applegate: 134,835Gary L. Hammersley: 42,354
1982Douglas Applegate: 128,665
1984Douglas Applegate: 155,759Kenneth P. Burt Jr.: 49,356
1986Douglas Applegate: 126,526
1988Douglas Applegate: 151,306William C. Abraham: 43,628
1990Douglas Applegate: 120,782John A. Hales: 41,823
1992Douglas Applegate: 166,189Bill Ress: 77,229
1994Gregory L. DiDonato: 87,926Bob Ney: 103,115
1996Robert L. Burch Jr.: 108,332Bob Ney: 117,365Margaret Chitti : 8,146
1998Robert L. Burch Jr.: 74,571Bob Ney: 113,119
2000Marc D. Guthrie: 79,232Bob Ney: 152,325John R. Bargar Sr. : 4,948
2002Bob Ney: 125,546
2004Brian R. Thomas: 88,560Bob Ney: 173,499
2006Zack Space: 119,494Joy Padgett: 74,475
2008Zack Space: 154,396Fred L. Dailey: 103,681
2010Zack Space: 80,756Bob Gibbs: 107,426Lindsey Sutton: 11,244

2006 election

Padgett had won a special primary held on September 14, 2006. The rest of the Republican primary field included Holmes County Commissioner Ray Feikert; Jerry Firman of Coshocton; James Brodbelt Harris of Muskingum County; and Ralph Applegate of Columbus. When he announced his withdrawal from the race, Ney identified Padgett as his favored successor. Two other Republican candidates, Dover mayor Richard Homrighausen and Ney aide John Bennett, withdrew from the race. Candidate Greg Zelenitz was rejected by the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections.