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 County results Brown: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Smith: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Ohio |
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The 1978 Ohio Attorney General election was held on November 7, 1978, to elect the Ohio Attorney General. Democratic incumbent Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown faced his returning opponent from the 1974 Ohio Attorney General race, Republican Prosecuting Attorney of Franklin County George Curtis Smith. Brown won re-election in a landslide, defeating Smith with 63.72% of the vote.
The Democratic primary was held on June 6, 1978. Brown won renomination unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William J. Brown | 493,043 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 493,043 | 100% | ||
The Republican primary was held on June 6, 1978. Smith easily won the Republican nomination, defeating Beckford with 65.14% of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George C. Smith | 311,317 | 65.14% | |
| Republican | Walter E. Beckford | 166,628 | 34.86% | |
| Total votes | 477,945 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William J. Brown | 1,700,262 | 63.72% | +4.65% | |
| Republican | George Curtis Smith | 968,220 | 36.28% | −4.65% | |
| Total votes | 2,668,482 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
