Governor of Ohio

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Ohio Governor

OH Gov logo.JPG

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $168,106
2025 FY Budget:  $3,881,798
Term limits:  Two consecutive terms
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Ohio Constitution, Article III, Section 5
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder

Governor of Ohio Richard Michael DeWine
Republican Party
Assumed office: 2019-01-14

Elections
Next election:  November 3, 2026
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Other Ohio Executive Offices
GovernorLieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurerAuditorSuperintendent of EducationAgriculture CommissionerInsurance CommissionerNatural Resources CommissionerLabor CommissionerPublic Service Commission

The Governor of the State of Ohio is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Ohio. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.[1]

Prior to 1963, the term of office was two years and, prior to 1995, term limits were not in place.[2][3]

Ohio has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.


Ohio has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: Ohio State Legislature, Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio State Senate

Current officeholder

The current Governor of Ohio is Richard Michael DeWine (R). DeWine assumed office in 2019.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article III, the Executive Department.

Under Article III, Section 5:

The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in the governor.[4]

Qualifications

State Executives
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Current Lt. Governors
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A candidate for the governor's office may not hold any congressional or federal office or any other state office.[4]

A candidate for governor of Ohio must be:[5]

  • at least 18 years old
  • a resident of the state
  • a U.S. citizen

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled


Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article III, Sections 15, 17, and 22.

If the governor dies, resigns, is removed or is convicted on impeachment, the lieutenant governor succeeds.

The lieutenant governor also serves as the acting governor in the event of any temporary disability of the governor.

After the lieutenant governor, the line of succession goes to the President Pro Tem of the Ohio State Senate and then to the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. Whoever serves as the acting governor has the full duties, powers, and emoluments of the elected governor.

Of the four offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, President Pro Tem of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, no person may hold two of them simultaneously or receive the compensation and emoluments of more than one office simultaneously.

If both the offices of the governor and the lieutenant governor are vacant and there are more than 20 months remaining in the current term, a special election for both offices shall be held at the next general election. The highest officer in the line of succession serves as an acting governor until the election.

If a governor-elect is unable to take office, the lieutenant governor-elect takes office and serves as the governor. If the governor-elect is only temporarily unable to take office, the lieutenant governor-elect serves as acting governor until the elected governor's disability is removed.

If, by a joint resolution, the legislature presents the case for the governor's removal on grounds of mental disability to discharge the office, the Supreme Court of Ohio shall have "original, exclusive, and final, jurisdiction" in the case. Within 21 days of receipt of such a resolution, the court shall give notice to the governor, hold a public hearing and render a decision.

If the office is vacated in such a manner, the court also has "original, exclusive, and final, jurisdiction" in choosing the manner of succession to the office.

Elections

Ohio state government organizational chart

Ohio elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Ohio, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the second Monday in the January following an election.

If two candidates are tied, the joint session of the legislature shall cast votes to choose among the top two vote getters.[4]

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

Ohio governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait one term before being eligible to run again.

Ohio Constitution, Article III, Section 2

No person shall hold the office of governor for a period longer than two successive terms of four years.[4]

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Ohio governors from 1992 to 2013.
Governor of Ohio Partisanship.PNG

2022

See also: Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Ohio on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MikeDeWine2015.jpg
Richard Michael DeWine (R)
 
62.4
 
2,580,424
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Nan-Whaley.jpg
Nan Whaley (D)
 
37.4
 
1,545,489
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Marshall-Usher.PNG
Marshall Usher (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.2
 
8,082
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/TimothyGrady.png
Tim Grady (Independent) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
574
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Renea-Turner.PNG
Renea Turner (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
231
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Craig Patton (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
77

Total votes: 4,134,877
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio

Nan Whaley defeated John Cranley in the Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Nan-Whaley.jpg
Nan Whaley
 
65.0
 
331,014
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/John-Cranley.jpg
John Cranley
 
35.0
 
178,132

Total votes: 509,146
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Ohio

Incumbent Richard Michael DeWine defeated Jim Renacci, Joe Blystone, and Ron Hood in the Republican primary for Governor of Ohio on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MikeDeWine2015.jpg
Richard Michael DeWine
 
48.1
 
519,594
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/James_Renacci.jpg
Jim Renacci
 
28.0
 
302,494
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Joe_Blystone.jpg
Joe Blystone
 
21.8
 
235,584
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Ron_Hood.jpg
Ron Hood
 
2.1
 
22,411

Total votes: 1,080,083
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018

See also: Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Ohio on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MikeDeWine2015.jpg
Richard Michael DeWine (R)
 
50.4
 
2,231,917
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Richard_Cordray.jpg
Richard Cordray (D)
 
46.7
 
2,067,847
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/XAtgmGP7_400x400.jpg
Travis Irvine (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
79,985
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Constance_Gadell-Newton.jpg
Constance Gadell-Newton (G)
 
1.1
 
49,475
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Renea-Turner.PNG
Renea Turner (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
185
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/12841441_1122864997743820_740581059835425779_o.jpg
Richard Duncan (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
132
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Rebecca Ayres (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
41

Total votes: 4,429,582
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Richard_Cordray.jpg
Richard Cordray
 
62.2
 
428,159
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Dennis_Kucinich.jpg
Dennis J. Kucinich
 
23.0
 
158,284
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Joe_schiavoni.jpg
Joseph Schiavoni
 
9.2
 
63,131
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/William_O_Neill-7_fixed.jpg
William O'Neill
 
3.3
 
22,667
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Paul Ray
 
1.4
 
9,536
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Larry Ealy
 
1.0
 
7,011

Total votes: 688,788
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Ohio

Richard Michael DeWine defeated Mary Taylor in the Republican primary for Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MikeDeWine2015.jpg
Richard Michael DeWine
 
59.8
 
499,639
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Mary_Taylor.JPG
Mary Taylor
 
40.2
 
335,328

Total votes: 834,967
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Green primary election

Green primary for Governor of Ohio

Constance Gadell-Newton advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Ohio on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Constance_Gadell-Newton.jpg
Constance Gadell-Newton
 
100.0
 
3,031

Total votes: 3,031
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2014

See also: Ohio gubernatorial election, 2014

Republican incumbent John Kasich won re-election on November 4, 2014.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Kasich/Mary Taylor Incumbent 63.6% 1,944,848
     Democratic Ed FitzGerald/Sharen Neuhardt 33% 1,009,359
     Green Anita Rios/Bob Fitrakis 3.3% 101,706
Total Votes 3,055,913
Election results via Ohio Secretary of State


Duties

Ohio

The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces (§ 10). The governor has a duty to enforce state laws; the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio State Legislature; the power to convene the legislature; and the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment (§ 11).[4]

Other duties and privileges of the office include:[4]

  • Executing all laws and requiring written information on any office from the head of that office (§ 6)
  • Making an annual address to the General Assembly, with recommendation for legislation (§ 7)
  • Convening extraordinary sessions of the legislature with limited purposes (§ 8)
  • Adjourning the legislature when the two chambers cannot agree to do so themselves, not to include the privilege of adjourning the legislature past the sine die set for the regular session (§ 9)
  • Keeping and using "The Great Seal of the State of Ohio" (§ 12)
  • Signing and sealing all commissions granted in the name of the state of Ohio (§ 13)
  • Nominating, in the event of a vacancy in the Lieutenant Governor's office, a new officer, subject to a confirmatory vote of both chambers of the legislature (§ 17a)
  • Making vacancy appointments for all "key state officers" (the Auditor, the Treasurer, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General). Such appointments are for the remainder of the term when the next general election is less than 40 days away and until the next general election otherwise (§ 18)
  • Accepting a report from the head of each executive department at least once a year, not later than five days before the regular session of the legislature convenes, and including the substance of those reports in his or her annual address to the legislature (§ 20)
  • Making all appointments not otherwise provided for, with the advice and consent of the Senate, unless the Senate refuses to act, in which case the Governor's appointee takes offices by default (§ 21)

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Ohio has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

Role in state budget

See also: Ohio state budget and finances

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[6]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
  2. State agencies submit their requests to the governor between September and October.
  3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in February (the deadline is extended to March 15 for a newly elected governor).
  4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins July 1 of odd-numbered years.

Ohio is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[6][7]

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.[6]

Governor's office budget

The budget for the governor's office in Fiscal Year 2025 was $3,881,798.[8]

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

As established in Article III, Section 19 of the Ohio Constitution, the governor's annual salary is legally fixed and may not be raised or decreased effective during the current term. The governor's salary is set by Title 1, Chapter 141 of the Ohio Revised Code.[9]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $168,106, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $164,590, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2020

In 2020, the governor’s salary was $159,182, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2019

In 2019, the governor’s salary was $153,650, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

2018

In 2018, the governor’s salary was $148,886, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

2017

In 2017, the governor’s salary was $148,304, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

2016

In 2016, the governor’s salary was decreased to $148,304, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

2015

In 2015, the governor received a salary of $148,886, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

2014

In 2014, the governor received a salary of $148,886, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]

2013

In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $148,886.[19]

2010

In 2010, the governor was paid $144,269 a year, the 14th highest gubernatorial salary in America.[20]

Historical officeholders

There have been 70 governors of Ohio since 1803. Of the 70 officeholders, 28 were Republican, 23 were Democratic, 10 were Democratic-Republican, five were Whig, three were Union, and one was a National Republican.[21]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Ohio
Partisan breakdown of the Ohio governorship from 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, in Ohio there were Democratic governors in office for four years while there were Republican governors in office for 18 years, including the last three. Ohio is one of eight states that were run by a Republican governor for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. Ohio was under Republican trifectas for the last three years of the study period.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Ohio, the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Partisan composition of Ohio state government(1992-2013).PNG

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Ohio state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Ohio had Republican trifectas during most of the years of the study, from 1995-2006 and from 2011-2013. The state's highest SQLI ranking, finishing 20th, occurred in 1997 during a Republican trifecta. Its lowest ranking, finishing 38th, occurred from 2008-2010 during a divided government.

Chart displaying the partisanship of Ohio government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

Demographic data for Ohio
 OhioU.S.
Total population:11,605,090316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):40,8613,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:82.4%73.6%
Black/African American:12.2%12.6%
Asian:1.9%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:3.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:89.1%86.7%
College graduation rate:26.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,429$53,889
Persons below poverty level:19.6%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Ohio.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Ohio

Ohio voted Republican in four out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, nine are located in Ohio, accounting for 4.37 percent of the total pivot counties.[22]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Ohio had eight Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Ohio coverage on Ballotpedia

Contact information

Governor's Office
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
Phone:614-466-3555
Fax:614-466-9354

See also

Ohio State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Ohio State Executive Offices
Ohio State Legislature
Ohio Courts
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Ohio elections: 202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. Governor of Ohio, " Homepage," accessed January 18, 2021
  2. Ballotpedia, "States with gubernatorial term limits," accessed January 18, 2021
  3. Ballotpedia, "Ohio Gubernatorial Term Limits Amendment 1 (1954)," accessed January 18, 2021
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The Ohio Legislature, "Ohio Constitution," accessed January 18, 2021
  5. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2019: Table 4.2 -- The Governors: Qualifications for Office," accessed January 18, 2021
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  7. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
  8. The Ohio Legislature, "Amended Substitute House Bill 33," accessed December 6, 2023
  9. LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules, "Ohio Revised Code Title 1, Chapter 141: Salaries of State Officers," accessed January 18, 2021
  10. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  11. Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
  12. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 18, 2021
  13. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 18, 2021
  14. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 18, 2021
  15. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 18, 2021
  16. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 18, 2021
  17. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 18, 2021
  18. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
  19. Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013
  20. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
  21. National Governors Association, "Former Ohio Governors," accessed January 18, 2021
  22. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.