Ohio had eighteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected in November 2008 served in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. The election coincided with the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Districts 1, 15, and 16 changed party (from Republican to Democratic), although CQ Politics had forecasted districts 1, 2, 14, 15, 16 and 18 to be at some risk for the incumbent party. District 15 was not decided until December 8, 2008.[1] As of 2025, this is the last time that Democrats won both a majority of congressional districts and the House popular vote in the state.
Overview
United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio, 2008[2]
Democratic nominee Steve Driehaus won against Republican incumbent Steve Chabot. CQ Politics rated the race as 'No Clear Favorite'. Driehaus lost re-election to Chabot in 2010, who was re-elected 5 more times before losing re-election again in 2022.
Results
Ohio's 1st Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt won against Democratic nominee Victoria Wulsin and Independent candidate David Krikorian. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Republican'.
Results
Ohio's 2nd Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Republican incumbent David Hobson did not run for re-election in 2008. Republican nominee Steve Austria won against Democratic nominee Sharen Neuhardt. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Republican Favored'.
Results
Ohio's 7th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Kucinich previously stated that he would run again for Congress in 2008 if his bid for president were unsuccessful.[4]
For 2008, however, Kucinich was facing four challengers in the Democratic primary scheduled for March 4, which prompted him to abandon his run for president.[5] Opponents included Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady. Having only raised around $50,000 so far compared to Cimperman's $228,000,[6] Kucinich put out appeals for campaign funding on YouTube.[7] He managed to raise $700,000, surpassing Cimperman's $487,000.[8]
Cimperman, who was endorsed by the Mayor of Cleveland and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, criticized Kucinich for focusing too much on campaigning for president and not on the district. Kucinich accused Cimperman of representing corporate and real estate interests. Cimperman described Kucinich as an absentee congressman who failed to pass any major legislative initiatives in his 12-year House career. In an interview, Cimperman said he was tired of Kucinich and Cleveland being joke fodder for late-night talk-show hosts, saying, "It's time for him to go home".[9][10] An ad paid for by Cimperman's campaign claimed that Kucinich had missed over 300 votes, but by checking the ad's source, the actual number was 139.[11]
A report suggested that representatives of Nancy Pelosi and American Israel Public Affairs Committee would "guarantee" Kucinich's re-election if he dropped his bid to impeach Cheney and Bush, though Kucinich denied the meeting happened.[12][13] It was also suggested that Kucinich's calls for universal health care and an immediate withdrawal from Iraq made him a thorn in the side of the Democrats' congressional leadership, as well as his refusal to pledge to support the eventual presidential nominee.[9]
At the last minute, Kucinich took part in a debate with the other primary challengers. Barbara Ferris criticized him for not bringing as much money back to the district as other area legislators and authoring just one bill that passed during his 12 years in Congress. Kucinich responded:
"It was a Republican Congress and there weren't many Democrats passing meaningful legislation during a Republican Congress."[14]
Kucinich easily won the primary by a 15-point-margin over his nearest opponent, Joe Cimperman.
2008 10th district democratic primary election, Ohio
Democratic nominee Marcia Fudge won against Republican nominee Thomas Pekarek. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Safe Democrat'. The following candidates ran in the general election:
Ohio's 11th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
The election results were essentially tied, requiring an automatic recount. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Democratic'. Republican incumbent Deborah Pryce did not run for re-election in 2008, leaving this an open seat. Kilroy defeated Stivers by 2,311 votes in a race not decided until the final ballots were counted on December 7, 2008.
Results
Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
Democratic nominee John Boccieri won against Republican nominee Kirk Schuring. Republican incumbent Ralph Regula did not run for re-election. CQ Politics rated the race as 'Leans Democratic'.
Results
Ohio's 16th Congressional District election, 2008[3]
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