Dan Sewell: Buckeye State is solidly scarlet

Some quick takes on Tuesday’s election results and what they mean for the future:

BUCKEYE STATE SOLIDLY SCARLET

Led by Gov. Mike DeWine, Republicans swept nine statewide races in Ohio. They held the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Republican Rob Portman, all elected executive positions, and won all three state Supreme Court races. Ohio’s traditional role as bellwether state took a hit in 2020 when Republican Donald Trump won it a second time by 8 percentage points but lost the presidency to Joe Biden. With Trump the early front-runner to be the 2024 Republican nominee, national Democrats might decide not to contest the state, which could hurt down-ballot candidates. In the meantime, let’s hope the dominant Republicans in Columbus will work to clean up corruption and to create fair districts. But I also was hoping to win the $2 billion Powerball.

Full election resultsOhio, Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati election results

A “HILLBILLY” GOES TO WASHINGTON

J.D. Vance’s Senate victory as a first-time candidate will put a different kind of Republican representing Ohio in Washington than Portman and his predecessor George Voinovich. The political philosophy of the "Hillbilly Elegy" author from Middletown has been evolving, most notably from Trump critic to Trump supporter, but the Yale Law School alum will have some fresh ideas and new approaches.

TIM RYAN WAS THE DEMOCRATS’ "RIP"

In an episode of the popular TV series "Yellowstone," hunky ranch foreman Rip Wheeler rode his horse into right-wing militia-held ground. That was to intentionally draw fire to help those with him to rescue a kidnapped child gain intelligence about how they would need to attack. It worked. Unfortunately for U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his apparent role for national Democrats was to draw tens of millions of Republican dollars into the Ohio Senate race away from other races while not getting enough Democratic reinforcements for himself.

IT'S NEVER TOO SOON TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT SENATE RACE

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, increasingly lonely among high-profile Democrats in the state, will try to win a fourth term in 2024 by overcoming Ohio’s reddening trend. The blunt-spoken "Dignity of Work" advocate who's one of Ohio's most successful politicians ever could face Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the Green Beret and Eagle Scout who handily won statewide reelection Tuesday.

OR KENTUCKY’S NEXT GOVERNOR RACE

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has led with a steady hand including during devastating eastern Kentucky flooding this year, but there are already several Republicans lining up to challenge him for the 2023 election. While anti-abortion Republican Sen. Rand Paul won a lop-sided reelection over Democrat Charles Booker, opponents of Kentucky’s anti-abortion constitutional proposal claimed victory.

A RISING STAR IN HAMILTON COUNTY?

County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh’s victory over Republican former Cincinnati City Council member Steve Goodin could position him for a higher office in the future. After all, he was appointed to complete the term of Democratic predecessor Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati’s mayor.

COMMISSION RACE SHOWS IT’S BETTER TO PARTY ON

Former Cincinnati vice mayor and council member Christopher Smitherman ran a high-profile Hamilton County Commission race as an independent and attracted support from key Republicans such as Prosecutor Joe Deters. But results showed Smitherman was a spoiler, enabling Democrat Stephanie Summerow Dumas to win with a plurality while Smitherman trailed Republican Matt O’Neill.

DEMOCRAT IN GOOD STANDING REPLACES DEMOCRAT WHO ISN’T

Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes’ historic run in the office will end after eight terms. His personally endorsed successor, state legislator Brigid Kelly, is a Democrat like Rhodes, but Rhodes had basically been excommunicated from the Hamilton County Democratic Party for support of Donald Trump and criticism of Democrats and Democratic causes. Some uninformed national news media played up "lifelong Democrat" Rhodes’ endorsement last week of Vance over Ryan, but locally, it was dog bites man.

NOT TOO SHABBY: DEMOCRAT FLIPS U.S. HOUSE SEAT

Another familiar face that will be departing office is Republican Rep. Steve Chabot, after 13 terms that saw him defeat many of Cincinnati’s best-known Democrats. But in a newly drawn House 1 district that was friendlier to Democrats, City Council member Greg Landsman won a nationally watched race. Landsman was educated at Harvard Divinity School and the even-more prestigious Ohio University (fellow Bobcat here).

BAKER WINS A NASTY RACE IN EASTERN HAMILTON COUNTY

The Ohio House District 27 race couldn’t end soon enough. Winning Democrat Rachel Baker and Republican foe Jenn Giroux, both suburban moms and nurses, were far apart on nearly everything, starting with Baker supporting abortion access and Giroux deeply opposed to any abortions. In the final days, Giroux focused on anti-transgender issues and dubbed Baker "Radical Rachel," allegedly supporting "grooming students to change their sexual identity." Baker reported to police that a private investigator tried to ambush-interview her on camera while she was with her children. Giroux’s holier-than-thou views included calling DeWine "a tyrant" and Portman "a political whore."

YOUTH WASN’T SERVED

Miami University sophomore Sam Lawrence got some real-life political science experience by running an uphill battle for the state House District 47 in Butler County against Republican Rep. Sara Carruthers, a Miami alum. The young Democrat worked hard and got some social media love from "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill, but still fell way short. But think of the term paper he can write!

Dan Sewell writes a Sunday politics column for The Enquirer. He can be reached at his personal email dsewellrojos@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dan Sewell: Buckeye State is solidly scarlet