1986 Ohio gubernatorial election

Last updated

1986 Ohio gubernatorial election
Flag of Ohio.svg
  1982 November 4, 1986 1990  
  Richard Celeste (Ohio governor 1982) (cropped).png Jim Rhodes in Bettsville, Ohio October 15, 1981 (1).jpg
Nominee Dick Celeste Jim Rhodes
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,858,3721,207,264
Percentage60.6%39.4%

1986 Ohio gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
Ohio 1986 Governor Election By Township.svg
Celeste:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Rhodes:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

Governor before election

Dick Celeste
Democratic

Elected Governor

Dick Celeste
Democratic

The 1986 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dick Celeste ran against four time former Governor Jim Rhodes, who had previously defeated the last two incumbent Democratic governors in 1962 and 1974. The two had faced off before in 1978, with Rhodes winning by 47,536 votes for his fourth victory. Eight years later, at the age of 77, Rhodes was attempting to win a record fifth term. However, Celeste won by an even bigger margin than he did four years earlier, becoming the first Democrat to win consecutive elections for Governor since Frank Lausche, who won four consecutive times in 1948, 1950, 1952, and 1954. As of 2022, this is the last time a Democrat was re-elected Governor of Ohio and the only time a Democrat won a second four-year term. Democrats wouldn't win another gubernatorial election in Ohio until 2006.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Dick Celeste, Governor of Ohio

Results

Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Dick Celeste (Incumbent) 684,206 99.87
Democratic Write-ins8800.13
Total votes685,086 100.0

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jim Rhodes 352,261 48.19
Republican Paul E. Gillmor 281,73738.54
Republican Paul E. Pfeifer 96,94813.26
Total votes730,946 100.00

General election

Results

Ohio gubernatorial election, 1986
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Dick Celeste (Incumbent) 1,858,372 60.6 +1.2
Republican Jim Rhodes1,207,26439.4+0.5
Write-ins975
Majority651,10821.2
Turnout 3,065,636
Democratic hold Swing

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Rhodes</span> American politician (1909–2001)

James Allen Rhodes was an American attorney and Republican politician who served as the 61st and 63rd Governor of Ohio from 1963 to 1971 and from 1975 to 1983. Rhodes was one of only seven U.S. governors to serve four four-year terms in office. Rhodes is tied for the sixth-longest gubernatorial tenure in post-Constitutional U.S. history at 5,840 days. He also served as Mayor of Columbus from 1944 to 1952 and Ohio State Auditor from 1953 to 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Celeste</span> American politician

Theodore S. Celeste is an American businessman and former politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After serving in the Peace Corps, Celeste, the brother of former Ohio governor and U.S. ambassador Dick Celeste, ran for the U.S. Senate in 2000 and lost to the Republican incumbent Mike DeWine. In 2006, Celeste was elected State Representative of Ohio's 24th District, and served until 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1980 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, coinciding with Ronald Reagan's victory in the presidential election. The 34 Senate seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter gave a huge boost to Republican Senate candidates, allowing them to flip 12 Democratic seats and win control of the chamber for the first time since the end of the 83rd Congress in January 1955. This was the first time since 1966 that any party successfully defended all their own seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006, in 36 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the midterm elections of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

The Pennsylvania Republican Party (PAGOP) is the state affiliate of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania. It is headquartered in Harrisburg. Its chair is Lawrence Tabas and is the second largest political party in the state behind the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 2002, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans won eight seats previously held by the Democrats, as well as the seat previously held by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected on the Reform Party ticket but had since renounced his party affiliation. The Democrats won 10 seats previously held by the Republicans, as well as the seat previously held by Maine governor Angus King, an independent. The elections were held concurrently with the other United States elections of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2000, in 11 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the presidential election. Democrats gained one seat by defeating an incumbent in West Virginia. As of 2024, this remains the last gubernatorial cycle in which a Democrat won in Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 South Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1990 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr., the popular Republican incumbent, handily defeated Democrat Theo Mitchell to become only the second governor at the time elected to a second consecutive four-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States elections</span>

The 2008 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, during the war on terror and the onset of the Great Recession. It was considered a Democratic wave election, with Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois defeating Senator John McCain of Arizona by a wide margin, and the Democrats bolstering their majorities in both chambers of Congress, thereby marking the first time since 1992 in which the Democrats won Congress and the presidency in one election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 United States elections</span>

The 2004 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004, during the early years of the war on terror and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Republican President George W. Bush won re-election and Republicans retained control of Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 United States elections</span>

The 2000 United States elections were held on November 7, 2000. Republican governor George W. Bush of Texas defeated Democratic Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee in the presidential election. Republicans retained control of both houses of Congress, giving the party unified control of Congress and the presidency for the first time since the 1954 elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 Michigan gubernatorial election</span>

The 1986 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 New Mexico gubernatorial election</span>

The 1994 New Mexico gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, for the four-year term beginning on January 1, 1995. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor ran on a ticket as running mates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 2002 Ohio gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican Governor of Ohio Bob Taft ran for re-election to a second and final term as governor, and he was opposed by Democratic nominee Tim Hagan, a former Cuyahoga County Commissioner. The race between Taft and Hagan was not competitive, and Taft was re-elected by a substantial margin, ensuring him a second term in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 1990 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Democratic governor Dick Celeste was unable to run for a third consecutive term due to term limits. Former mayor of Cleveland George Voinovich, who also ran for the United States Senate in 1988, was uncontested for the Republican nomination, while Ohio Attorney General Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. emerged from the Democratic primary. In the end, Voinovich was able to defeat Celebrezze by a fairly wide margin, winning his first term in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2022, in 36 states and three territories. As most governors serve four-year terms, the last regular gubernatorial elections for all but two of the seats took place in the 2018 U.S. gubernatorial elections. The gubernatorial elections took place concurrently with several other federal, state, and local elections, as part of the 2022 midterm elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 1978 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Jim Rhodes defeated Democratic nominee Dick Celeste with 49.31% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Idaho gubernatorial election</span>

The 1970 Idaho gubernatorial election took place on November 3 to elect the governor of Idaho, concurrently with other scheduled governor races, as well as Idaho's two congress members in the House of Representatives and a number of statewide offices. Incumbent Republican governor Don Samuelson sought re-election to a second consecutive term as governor. Although he faced a primary challenger, former state senator Dick Smith, he received more than 58 percent of the primary vote, and thus secured the party's re-nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Idaho gubernatorial election</span>

The 1966 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 8. Republican nominee Don Samuelson defeated Democratic nominee Cecil Andrus with 41.4% of the vote in a four-way race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1956 North Carolina gubernatorial election</span>

The 1956 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Democrat Luther H. Hodges defeated Republican nominee Kyle Hayes with 66.95% of the vote.

References