November 07, 2018
By Jim Irvine- Buckeye Firearms Association
The Buckeye Firearms Association-endorsed, A-rated ticket of Mike DeWine and Jon Husted (R) achieved victory in the race to see who would be the next Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. DeWine and Husted defeated Richard Cordray (D) in a rematch of the 2010 Attorney General race. Listed as a “toss up” in most polls, DeWine bested Cordray by over 184,000 votes, or better than 5% of the vote.
Buckeye Firearms Association-endorsed, A-rated candidates also won every other non-judicial statewide office: Dave Yost (R) was elected Attorney General, Frank LaRose (R) was elected Secretary of State, Keith Faber (R) was elected Auditor of State, and Robert Sprague (R) was elected Treasurer of State.
For all the out-of-state money poured into Ohio, a majority of voters still refused to vote for candidates that want to deny innocent people the right to keep and bear arms for defense and security.
In U.S. Congressional races, the Republican incumbents were all endorsed by NRA and BFA and all won. Additionally, Anthony Gonzales (R) won the open 16th district replacing Jim Renacci. Troy Balderson (R) also won his first regular Congressional election. All three “toss up” congressional races stayed Republican and pro-gun.
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On a less encouraging note for gun owners, the Democrats did win both Ohio Supreme Court races, and Sherrod Brown (D) held onto his U.S. Senate seat. These were the three big losses for Ohio gun owners, but none shift the balance of power.
In the Ohio Senate, pro-gun candidates ruled the day. The Republicans successfully defended every seat and picked up one as Michael Rulli (R) defeated John Boccieri (D) in the 33rd district currently held by a Democrat. District 3 was won by Anne Gonzales by 329 votes, or 0.25% of votes cast, triggering an automatic recount.
In the Ohio House, the Democrats picked up several suburban districts in Franklin County, but Republicans fared well elsewhere, holding onto their super-majority.
96 of 113 (85%) of BFA-endorsed candidates won their contests.
The Democrats had three candidates (Richard Cordray, Zack Space, and John Boccieri) who have all been endorsed by NRA/BFA in the past. All three of those candidates have abandoned gun owners and voted against our rights, and all three lost their election. Bottom line, gun owners have good memories, and they vote.
We want to thank all our supporters who voted for and worked on campaigns of our endorsed candidates. While George Soros and Michael Bloomberg try to buy influence with their billions, we count on our members to roll up their sleeves and get busy. Grassroots work pays off again.
Jim Irvine is BFA-PAC Chairman, recipient of the NRA-ILA's 2011 Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award and CCRKBA's 2012 Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award.
