Good Morning, Cleveland! It's Wednesday, November 4th, and here is what you need to know.
Acton wins Ohio governor; Sherrod Brown flips U.S. Senate seat
Ohio may sit on Lake Erie, but it became part of a nationwide blue wave this election. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown defeated Jon Husted to return to Washington, and for the first time in 20 years, the governor's mansion will belong to a Democrat. Amy Acton was Gov. Mike DeWine's very last cabinet hire seven years ago, when he asked her to be the state's health director. Now she will be the one doing the hiring. Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to replace the term-limited DeWine in Columbus. It was a race that a year ago seemed the Republicans' to lose, given Democrats' inability to win statewide since 2018 and it being 20 years since they elected a Democratic governor. But concerns about affordability — fueled by the trade wars out of Washington and the actual war in Iran — proved to be a weight on the back of Republicans running this year. The controversy around the ad run by Ramaswamy likely only added to his loss. Ramaswamy was conciliatory in his remarks. In an interesting development, Lucas County, which is Toledo, had a number of issues and did not start reporting its numbers until after 1:30 in the morning. Those results played a huge role in the state's row office races — attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer. Democrat Allison Russo won secretary of state. It looked like Republicans would take the other three, but treasurer and attorney general are too close to call right now, with the attorney general race separated by just a few thousand votes. If that holds up, it would trigger a statewide recount.
Poindexter unseats Rep. Max Miller in Ohio's 7th District
Democrat Brian Poindexter of Brook Park has unseated two-term Republican Congressman Max Miller in Ohio's 7th Congressional District. Poindexter, a union iron worker, rode his working class background and values to an election win. He took the stage just after 11:30 p.m. at a jubilant watch party in Parma, telling the crowd, "we just won a seat in Congress."
Poindexter promised to go to Washington to fight for the working people of Ohio, pledging to fight for the people of his district whether they supported his election or not. Miller conceded on social media. His campaign did not make him available on election night. As for Poindexter, he says there will be a brief celebration, and then the man who spends his days wearing a hard hat says it's back to work.
Elyria voters pass new school district operating levy
Voters in Elyria have passed a new operating levy for the city's school district, approving the measure with 52% of the vote. The levy is expected to generate more than $11.5 million a year for the district, paying for things like staff, electricity and anything needed daily for student education. It marks the first time Elyria has passed a new operating levy in 16 years. The superintendent said the money will protect programs like athletics, clubs and advanced classes.
Barberton schools income tax levy fails; district faces more budget cuts
Barberton City School District's proposed 1% income tax has failed at the ballot box, leaving the district facing the prospect of additional budget cuts. Issue 5 failed, with 62% of voters casting a "no" ballot. The defeat marks the second time this year the district has been unable to secure new funding from voters. The district failed to pass a property tax levy in May and was placed under fiscal emergency in September. Earlier this year, the district made $7 million in cuts, including dozens of teachers and teacher's aides. Without the levy, the district says more cuts will have to be made.
Ohio voters approve Issue 3 to put voter ID in the state constitution
Ohio voters have approved a statewide ballot issue to require voter ID, adding the requirement to the state constitution. Issue 3 passed with 66% of the vote. The measure will enshrine Ohio's voter ID laws into the state constitution. Voter ID is already law in Ohio. But adding it to the constitution will make it harder to change in the future. This was one of a number of races being watched across the state.
Avon Lake rejects road tax levy; Smithville votes to repeal speed cameras
Several Northeast Ohio communities weighed in on transportation-related issues this Election Day, with voters in Avon Lake and the Village of Smithville deciding two major questions. Avon Lake voters rejected Issue 16, which would have increased the local income tax by 0.4%. The issue failed by a close margin — 51% to about 49%. Avon Lake City Council President Geoffrey Smith told me the income tax increase could have brought in $6 million to the city. That money would have been used to make repairs to the city's aging and deteriorating roads. Smith said the city has $40 million worth of needed road repairs. Since Issue 16 did not pass, Smith said money for repairs will not be in the city's budget. In Smithville, voters overwhelmingly chose to repeal area speed cameras. The village had installed three sets of speed cameras in three school zones last year. In July, business owners told me their customers were avoiding traveling through the village. Local residents told me they felt like they didn't get a say in the cameras' installations. When voters shared their thoughts, 71% asked to repeal the speed cameras. The Smithville speed cameras will not stop right away. The repeal will not go into effect until after the results of the election are certified.
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