Final results: Kasich defeated Strickland by 2 percentage points

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Republican John Kasich defeated Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland by 2 percentage points in the Nov. 2 election, according to final results in Ohio.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner released the results Friday after the state’s counties conducted official canvasses to update the unofficial totals from Election Day, The Columbus Dispatch reported. That process includes counting valid provisional and outstanding absentee ballots.

Kasich won 49.04 percent of the vote, and Strickland got 47.04 percent.

The final count confirms that Strickland underperformed in Democratic counties where he needed a big turnout to win, The Dispatch reported.

In Cuyahoga County, Strickland won 84,000 fewer votes than he did in 2006. Strickland lost by 77,133 votes statewide.

Kasich carried 61 of Ohio’s 88 counties. His largest vote margin over Strickland came in the southwestern counties of Butler, Clermont and Warren and in his home county, Delaware.

Four years ago, Strickland carried all but 16 of the state’s counties. He won 27 counties this fall.

Strickland has said that he doubts there was anything he could have done differently in the campaign, The Dispatch reported.

He cites tough economic times for turning Ohioans off from voting for him or voting at all.

In the race for attorney general, Democratic incumbent Richard Cordray lost to Republican Mike DeWine by 48,691 votes, according to the final results.

The official statewide turnout for the Nov. 2 election was 49.2 percent. That was down from 53.3 percent in the 2006 general election, The Dispatch reported.