1974 Ohio State Auditor election

1974 Ohio State Auditor election

← 1970 November 5, 1974 (1974-11-05) 1978  →

Nominee Thomas E. Ferguson Roger Tracy Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,561,709 1,242,459 Percentage 55.69% 44.31%

County results Ferguson:     50–60%     60–70% Tracy:     50–60%     60–70%

State Auditor before election Joseph T. Ferguson Democratic Elected State Auditor Thomas E. Ferguson Democratic

The 1974 Ohio State Auditor election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect the Ohio State Auditor. Primaries were held on May 7, 1974. Incumbent Democratic Ohio State Auditor Joseph T. Ferguson chose not to seek re-election. His son, Democratic Deputy Auditor of State Thomas E. Ferguson, won the election, defeating the returning 1970 Republican nominee for this office, former Ohio State House Representative Roger Tracy, by 11 percentage points.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Thomas E. Ferguson, Deputy Auditor of State

Campaign

Ferguson won the nomination unopposed.

Results

Democratic primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Thomas E. Ferguson	713,241	100.00%
Total votes			713,241	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Roger Tracy, former Ohio State House Representative (1967–1970)
• Thomas A. Cloud, Montgomery County Commissioner (1969–1975)

Campaign

Tracy won the nomination over Cloud by six percentage points.

Results

Republican primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Roger Tracy	289,842	53.21%
	Republican	Thomas A. Cloud	254,888	46.79%
Total votes			544,730	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Thomas E. Ferguson, Deputy Auditor of State (Democratic)
• Roger Tracy, former Ohio State House Representative (1967–1970)

Results

1974 Ohio State Auditor election results ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Thomas E. Ferguson	1,561,709	55.69%	+4.82
	Republican	Roger Tracy	1,242,459	44.31%	−4.82
Total votes			2,804,168	100.00%
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Democratic Primary: May 7, 1974 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
2. "Republican Primary: May 7, 1974 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
3. "General Election: November 5, 1974 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 16, 2025.