1986 Ohio gubernatorial election

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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. This was the penultimate time a Democrat was elected Governor of Ohio, with the last time being in 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
Majority 651,10821.2
Turnout 3,065,636
Democratic hold Swing

References