1970 Ohio lieutenant gubernatorial election

1970 Ohio lieutenant gubernatorial election

←  1966 November 3, 1970 1974  →

Nominee John William Brown Anthony O. Calabrese Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,554,837 1,399,651 Percentage 52.62% 47.37%

County results Brown:     50–60%     60–70%     70-80% Calabrese:     50–60%

Lieutenant Governor before election John William Brown Republican Elected Lieutenant Governor John William Brown Republican

The 1970 Ohio lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970, to elect the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. Republican incumbent John William Brown defeated Democratic challenger, Ohio State Senator and Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate Anthony O. Calabrese, with 52.62% of the vote.

Republican primary

Candidates

• John William Brown, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (1963–1975), (1953–1957)

Campaign

The Republican primary was held on May 5, 1970. Brown won renomination without opposition.

Results

Republican primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John William Brown	733,229	100%
Total votes			733,229	100.0%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Anthony O. Calabrese, Ohio State Senator (1956–1970), and Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate (1969–1975)
• A. William Sweeney, lawyer
• Ray T. Miller Jr.
• James D. Nolan
• John J. Gill
• Robert E. Hagan
• Perry Mason

Campaign

The Democratic primary was held on May 5, 1970. Calabrese won a crowded primary with 28.69% of the vote.

Results

Democratic primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Anthony O. Calabrese	232,602	28.69%
	Democratic	A. William Sweeney	185,086	22.83%
	Democratic	Ray T. Miller Jr.	93,062	11.48%
	Democratic	James D. Nolan	91,918	11.34%
	Democratic	John J. Gill	84,513	10.42%
	Democratic	Robert E. Hagan	70,320	8.67%
	Democratic	Perry Mason	53,350	6.58%
Total votes			810,851	100.0%

General election

Candidates

• John William Brown, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (1963–1975), (1953–1957) (Republican)
• Anthony O. Calabrese, Ohio State Senator (1956–1970), and Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate (1969–1975) (Democratic)
• Herman Kirsch (Write-in)

Results

1970 Ohio lieutenant gubernatorial election results ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	John William Brown	1,554,837	52.62%	−7.67%
	Democratic	Anthony O. Calabrese	1,399,651	47.37%	+7.66%
	Write-in	Herman Kirsch	92	0.00%	N/A
Total votes			2,954,580	100.0%
	Republican hold		Swing

References

1. "Republican primary: May 5, 1970 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
2. "Democratic Primary: May 5, 1970". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
3. "General Election Overview: November 3, 1970 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved October 17, 2025.