As ever, I can be reached with tips, comments or questions at 614-981-1422, avery.kreemer@coxinc.com or @AveryKreemer on X. You can also follow our coverage at our Politics page and through our Ohio Politics Facebook page.
***
Trump, Vance win the White House
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
• Trump’s return: History was made Tuesday as the 45th president of the United States became the 47th.
• Margins: President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in what wound up being a resounding fashion on Tuesday. Votes are still being counted, but Trump is looking at a perfect sweep of critical battleground states that cost him the election in 2020 and will become the first Republican to win the popular vote since 2004.
• Shaking hands: The results cap off a divisive campaign that has already been followed by both candidates with calls for unity across the country. Both Harris and President Joe Biden have congratulated Trump on his win.
• What’s next: When Trump and Ohio’s own V.P.-elect JD Vance assume the White House in January 2025, they’ll begin with a confirmed Republican Senate majority and a possible majority in U.S. House — paving the way for a potentially productive start to his second term.
• The Associated Press has more on Trump’s historic win.
Moreno’s win takes Brown down
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
• Changing of the guard: Ohio voters swapped out one Cleveland-area U.S. Senator for another Tuesday, vaulting the Trump-backed Westlake businessman Bernie Moreno to the U.S. Senate and rescinding incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, whose Senate run will end after 18 years.
• More Moreno: “We talked about wanting a red wave. I think what we have tonight is a red, white and blue wave,” Moreno said in an acceptance speech. “Because what we need in the United States of America is leaders in Washington, D.C., that actually put the interests of American citizens above all else. We’re tired of being treated like second-class citizens in our own country. We’re tired of leaders that think we’re garbage and we’re tired of being treated like garbage.”
• Brown concedes: “This is a disappointment, but it is not a failure,” said Brown in a concession speech. “It will never be wrong to fight for organized labor, it will never be wrong to fight for the freedom of women to make their health care decisions, it surely will never be wrong to fight for civil rights and human rights. Tonight I am sad, but I am never giving up.”
• Power shift: The change represents an overall shift in power in the U.S. Senate. Moreno is one of three Republicans to flip a Senate seat so far, giving Republicans a confirmed advantage — and Trump a runway for plentiful Senate confirmations — when the new term commences in January.
• For more on the race, check out Lynn Hulsey’s election night story.
Local political news of the week
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
• Local levies: The Dayton Metro Library and Five Rivers MetroParks levies passed Tuesday, showing that area voters are willing to hike their property taxes even in a tight market. London Bishop has the full story.
• Too close to call: Both open seats for the Montgomery County Commission are currently being decided by razor-thin margins and, with thousands of provisional and absentee ballots still to be tallied, are too close to call. Sydney Dawes has the details.
• Foley return: Incumbent Republican Mike Foley was granted another term as Montgomery County clerk of courts Tuesday by voters despite facing felony and misdemeanor charges related to campaign and other activity. Eric Schwartzberg has the story.
State political news of the week
Credit: Avery Kreemer
Credit: Avery Kreemer
• Issue 1 rejected: Ohio voters resoundingly rejected Ohio’s Issue 1 redistricting proposal this week, denying a citizen redistricting commission that would have made more Ohio districts winnable for Democrats and sticking with the status quo. Here’s my story.
• Court shift: Republicans won all three open seats on the Ohio Supreme Court this week, shifting the bench’s balance from a four-to-three GOP majority to six-to-one. Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner is now the only statewide Democrat that will hold office in 2025. Here’s the story from me and Lynn Hulsey.
• GOP House: All Montgomery County incumbents in the Ohio House won reelection this week, helping maintain a GOP supermajority in the House, which Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., hopes to help lead. Nick Blizzard has the story.
• Dayton Senate: The city of Dayton will be represented by a Democrat in the Ohio Senate for the first time in over a decade following state Rep. Willis Blackshear Jr.’s successful leap from the Ohio House to the higher chamber on Tuesday. Nick Blizzard again has the story.
National political news of the week
Credit: NYT
Credit: NYT
• Vance vacancy: Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will have the power to appoint the replacement for JD Vance in the U.S. Senate once he resigns to take over V.P. duties. Lynn Hulsey explains who might get the nod.
• Incumbents stay: It was a bad night for local challengers as all four Miami Valley congressional incumbents maintained their seats on election night. Here’s my story.
• Hometown support: On election night, Republicans near Vance’s hometown in Butler County gathered to watch election results. “We are going to have a friend in the White House who will remember all the people in Middletown, Ohio,” a local 17-year-old supporter told this outlet. Rick McCrabb has the story.