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MARIETTA - Washington County may have stayed red, but many of Ohio's statewide offices were swept up in the midterm election's blue wave Tuesday.
In addition to former state health officer Dr. Amy Acton defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the gubernatorial race, fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown returned to the U.S. Senate, receiving 50% of the vote compared to 45% for Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio.
Brown lost his 2024 reelection bid to Sen. Bernie Moreno, but won this time against Husted in the race for the remaining two years of the term now-Vice President JD Vance won in 2022. Libertarian William B. Redpath earned 2.8% of the vote, while independent candidate Greg Levy tallied 2%.
"My pledge to all Ohioans, whether you voted for me or you didn't, is that I will always be on your side - always," Brown said Tuesday night. "I do not work for the utility companies. I do not work for data centers. I do not work for Wall Street. I work for you, I work for Ohio."
In his emotional concession speech, Husted said he has hope for the future of Ohio - where he spent most of the past 25 years in elective office - and for the country. He urged Americans to share that optimism.
"America is a great nation. You should love it, and you should fight for our founding ideals that our rights belong fundamentally to us, not to government," Husted said. "And it's on all of us to make this country a better place."
In other statewide races:
* Democratic attorney John J. Kulewicz won the race for attorney general, garnering just over 50% of the vote against Republican Auditor Keith Faber, according to numbers posted by the Ohio Secretary of State's Office.
"This campaign is proof of the proposition that 'only the impossible is worth the effort,'" Kulewicz said in a statement issued Wednesday morning. "Much effort went into the achievement we celebrate, which seemed impossible two years ago. It is up to us to make that achievement worth the effort."
* Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose bucked the trend when he edged out Democrat Annete Blackwell, the mayor of Maple Heights, in the race for state auditor. LaRose received 50.8% of the vote to Blackwell's 49.2%.
"I'm honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as your next Ohio Auditor of State, but it's certainly a victory that's bittersweet," LaRose said in an Ohio Capital Journal article. "I know we're disappointed about the outcome of so many other races. We, as Republicans, have a lot of work to do."
* Democratic legislator Allison Rush is the secretary of state-elect, tallying 50.3% of the vote over Republican state Treasurer Robert Sprague (46.8%) and Libertarian candidate Tom Pruss (2.9%).
"Ohioans have sent a clear message: You want an elections system that is secure, efficient, accessible, and transparent for every eligible voter, no matter where they live or how they vote," Russo said in a statement issued early Wednesday morning. "I am so deeply honored and profoundly humbled to be elected as your next Ohio Secretary of State."
* Sprague will be replaced as treasurer by Democrat Seth Walsh, who defeated Republican Jay Edwards 50.5% to 49.5%.