1966 Ohio Attorney General election

1966 Ohio Attorney General election

← 1962 November 8, 1966 (1966-11-08) 1970  →

Nominee William B. Saxbe Robert E. Sweeney Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,522,038 1,233,805 Percentage 55.23% 44.77%

County results Saxbe:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Sweeney:     50–60%

Attorney General before election William B. Saxbe Republican Elected Attorney General William B. Saxbe Republican

The 1996 Ohio Attorney General election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the Ohio Attorney General. Republican incumbent Ohio Attorney General William B. Saxbe defeated his returning 1962 Democratic opponent, Representative Robert E. Sweeney, by ten percentage points.

Saxbe would not serve another full term as Ohio Attorney General as he would go on to resign in 1969 after winning election to the United States Senate.

Republican primary

Candidates

• William B. Saxbe, incumbent Ohio Attorney General (1963–1969) (1957–1959)

Campaign

The Republican primary was held on May 3, 1966. Saxbe won renomination unopposed.

Results

Republican primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William B. Saxbe	559,305	100%
Total votes			559,305	100%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Robert E. Sweeney, United States Representative (1965–1967)
• Mark McElroy, former Ohio Attorney General (1959–1963)

Campaign

The Democratic primary was held on May 3, 1966. Representative Robert E. Sweeney narrowly defeated former Ohio Attorney General Mark McElroy to win the Democratic nomination.

Results

Democratic primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert E. Sweeney	296,216	53.39%
	Democratic	John McDonald	258,622	46.61%
Total votes			554,838	100%

General election

Candidates

• William B. Saxbe, incumbent Ohio Attorney General (1963–1969) (1957–1959) (Republican)
• Robert E. Sweeney, United States Representative (1965–1967) (Democratic)

Results

1966 Ohio Attorney General election results ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	William B. Saxbe	1,522,038	55.23%	+3.36%
	Democratic	Robert E. Sweeney	1,233,805	44.77%	−3.36%
Total votes			2,755,843	100.00%
	Republican hold

References

1. "Republican Primary - 1966 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State.
2. "Democratic Primary - 1966 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State.
3. "1966 General Election Overview - Ohio Secretary of State" . Retrieved October 21, 2025.