By Herald Staff
Richard Cordray, a Democrat, and Mike DeWine, a Republican, won their bids to represent their parties in the gubernatorial race in November, with both candidates coming out ahead in Tuesday’s primary elections in Hamilton County and in Ohio. Among Democrats in Hamilton County, Cordray won 65.55 percent of the county votes, as he faced five other candidates. DeWine, the Ohio attorney general, took the Republican primary in both Hamilton County and the State, receiving 58 percent of the county vote over Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor. His running mate is Secretary of State Jon Husted.
In Hamilton County, which has 585,767 registered voters, 110,249 went to the polls, just 18.82 percent.
Cincinnatian Rob Richardson ran unopposed countywide on the Democratic ballot for state treasurer. On the Republican side, Robert Sprague won with 61 percent of the county vote in a race with Sandra O’Brien.
Also, Cincinnatian Aftab Pureval was unopposed on the Democratic ballot in his run against Republican Congressman Steve Chabot in Ohio’s Second District, which covers western Hamilton County and Warren County. Chabot was unopposed on the Republican side. Chabot defeated Republican opponent Samuel Ronan in Hamilton County with 85 per cent of the vote.
In the primary race between Democrats State Senator Cecil Thomas and Dale Mallory in the Ninth District in Cincinnati, Thomas won with 74 percent of the vote.
Sedrick Denson defeated fellow Democrat Kathy Goodwin-Williams with 60 percent of the vote in the 33rd District state representative race to replace term-limited Alicia Reece.
Also in county voting, Stephanie Dumas of Cincinnati took 58 percent of the Democratic vote to represent the party in the county commissioner race in November, defeating James Wolf.
Among local issues, primary voters approved a zoo tax renewal levy by 78 percent and an additional Hamilton County Public Library tax by 63 percent.
Issue I, which would overhaul how Ohio districts are drawn for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, passed overwhelmingly both statewide and locally.