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The incumbent congressmen were re-elected
YOUNGSTOWN
The three members of Congress who represent the Mahoning Valley were re-elected with even the closest race in the 6th District not that competitive.
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-6th, turned back the challenge of former three-term state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, a Democrat from Marietta, in that race. With 92 percent of the vote in, Johnson of Marietta was leading Garrison 58 percent to 39 percent. Dennis Lambert, the Green Party candidate from Pedro, had 3 percent of the vote.
Johnson won 17 of the 18 counties in the 6th Congressional District, getting 62 percent of the vote in Columbiana County and 61 percent of the vote in Mahoning County. The only county Johnson lost was Monroe.
“This victory reflects the confidence the people of Eastern and Southeastern Ohio have in my beliefs about a smaller federal government, living within our means, the use of natural resources such as coal and their health care,” Johnson said. “I’m very humbled by the results.”
Johnson added: “I hope we can come together and stop the partisan gridlock.”
Johnson, re-elected Tuesday to his third two-year term in the House, raised $2,210,482 compared to $950,085 for Garrison. The challenger gave $438,922 to her campaign, including a $300,000 loan on Oct. 8. Garrison, who runs a law firm that’s negotiated about $300 million in oil-and-gas transactions, contributed 46 percent of the money raised by her campaign.
Garrison was strongly recruited by national Democrats in early 2013 to challenge Johnson, but money from the party never materialized.
This isn’t the first time Johnson turned back a heavily self-funded candidate. In 2012, he defeated ex-U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, a Democrat from St. Clairsville, who has since died, by 6.6 percentage points. Wilson gave $588,559 from his personal funds to his congressional campaign. The amount was equal to 40 percent of the money his campaign raised.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, crushed Thomas Pekarek, his Republican challenger, 69 percent to 31 percent with 92 percent of the vote counted. The heavily Democratic five-county 13th District includes most of Mahoning, where Ryan got 76 percent of the vote, and Trumbull, where he got 69 percent of the vote.
“This is an important moment in history and difficult decisions must be made to ensure our national security and economic prosperity,” Ryan said. “I firmly believe the issues that unite us are more important than those which divide us and I call on both sides to join together to build a better and brighter future for Ohio and the” country.
Ryan, who won his seventh two-year term Tuesday, raised $1,013,217 in this campaign. Pekarek of Cleveland, who’s unsuccessfully run for office at least seven other times, failed to raise even $1,000.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce of Russell, R-14th, defeated Democrat Michael Wager of Moreland Hills 64 percent to 33 percent with 92 percent of the vote reported. Libertarian David Macko, who also ran, received 4 percent of the vote.
The seven-county 14th District includes 11 northern townships in Trumbull County.
The results are “a victory for common sense. I am honored and humbled that the people have decided to place their trust in one of their own to represent them,” Joyce said. “Whether from those who have been my neighbor for decades, or new folks I’ve met since I was elected in 2012, it is clear that the people want me to continue fighting for common sense solutions to our nation’s problems.”