1982 Ohio Attorney General election

1982 Ohio Attorney General election

← 1978 November 2, 1982 (1982-11-02) 1986  →

Nominee Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. Charles R. Saxbe Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,036,243 1,203,797 Percentage 61.3% 36.24%

County results Celebrezze:     40-50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Saxbe:     50–60%     60–70%

Attorney General before election William J. Brown Democratic Elected Attorney General Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. Democratic

The 1982 Ohio Attorney General election was held on November 2, 1982, to elect the Ohio Attorney General. Democratic nominee, Ohio Secretary of State Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr., defeated Republican Ohio House Representative Charles R. Saxbe in a landslide, winning by a nearly 2 to 1 margin.

Background

The longtime Democratic incumbent Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown chose not to run for re-election in order to seek the Democratic nomination for Governor of Ohio, which he would go on to lose to Dick Celeste. ^[1]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr., Ohio Secretary of State (1979–1983)

Campaign

The Democratic primary was held on June 8, 1982. Celebrezze won the Democratic nomination without opposition.

Results

Democratic primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.	750,315	100%
Total votes			750,315	100%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Charles R. Saxbe, Ohio House Representative, (1975–1982)

Campaign

The Republican primary was held on June 8, 1982. Saxbe won the Republican nomination unanimously.

Results

Republican primary results ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Charles R. Saxbe	572,238	100%
Total votes			572,238	100%

General election

Candidates

• Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr., Ohio Secretary of State (1979–1983) (Democratic)
• Charles R. Saxbe, Ohio House Representative, (1975–1982)
• James L. Schuller (Libertarian)

Results

1982 Ohio Attorney General results ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.	2,036,243	61.3%	−2.42%
	Republican	Charles R. Saxbe	1,203,797	36.24%	−0.04%
	Libertarian	James L. Schuller	81,974	2.47%	N/A
Total votes			3,322,014	100.00%
	Democratic hold

References

1. "Democratic Primary: June 8, 1982". Ohio Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
2. "Democratic Primary: June 8, 1982 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025.
3. "Republican Primary: June 8, 1982 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025.
4. "General Election Overview: November 2, 1982". Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.