COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Republicans have topped the number of elected seats that they have held in the Ohio House, winning at least 65 districts.
EXTRA: Complete statewide results
A final House breakdown wasn’t immediately known, as one race was too close to call. The Democratic incumbent was leading.
The GOP has held 60 seats in the current General Assembly.
Republican state senators Kris Jordan (Delaware), Kevin Bacon (Columbus) and Democrat Charleta Tavares (Columbus) were all re-elected.
In the House, four Democratic and Republican incumbents were re-elected to districts that included part of Franklin County. David Leland, a Democratic, defeated Andrew Hall for the seat in the 22nd District vacated by John Patrick Carney, who ran for state Auditor. Former Columbus City Council member Hearcel Craig, also a Democrat, beat Republican Dustin Pyles for the seat in the 26th District formerly occupied by Tracy Maxwell Heard, who was forced to leave because of term limits.
Since a constitutional amendment established the 99-member House in 1967, the most seats the party had won was 64.
Republicans will have enough members next year to more easily place constitutional amendments before the voters.
Democrats were outnumbered in both the House and Senate headed into Election Day. They needed to pick up one House seat to block the GOP from holding such legislative power. But Democrats lagged behind in campaign fundraising and struggled with a weak gubernatorial candidate.