(The Center Square) – Mayors in Cleveland and Cincinnati easily won reelection, and several central Ohio school tax issues passed after a series of failures in a Tuesday election that was hyperlocal.
A year before statewide and federal seats take center stage, Vice President J.D. Vance’s coattails were tarnished in Cincinnati, where his half-brother was beaten handily by incumbent Mayor Aftab Pureval, who won with nearly 80% of the vote.
Cory Bowman, a preacher, received endorsements from both Vance and the Republican Party but lost soundly to Pureval, who said his mission is to protect the Queen City from the chaos in Washington, D.C.
“The work remains ahead,” Pureval said in his victory speech Tuesday night. “We have to continue to prioritize public safety. We have to work with this council to create more housing. With this election, we have four more years to achieve those dreams together. I can promise you this. This council and I will pour everything that we have into this city to protect us from the chaos that is coming out of Washington, D.C.”
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb also easily won another term, defeating Laverne Gore by a 49-point margin.
In the southwest and central parts of the state, about half of the new or renewal tax levies passed.
Columbus voters approved a renewal levy to fight alcohol and drug addiction, while Westerville voters approved a new income for city schools.
Olentangy voters approved a bond issue for a new high school and new elementary schools in one of the state’s fastest-growing school districts.
Voters in Plain City, however, turned down a property tax levy for Jonathan Alder schools by just 12 votes.
And voters in Mifflin Township, in the Columbus area, rejected an operating levy for the Police Department, which could lead to its closure.
In the northeast area of the state, however, only three of 15 school tax levies were passed, most rejected soundly.
Next year, Ohio voters will select a new governor, along with statewide political offices. Sen. Jon Husted’s senate seat will also be on the ballot, along with U.S. House of Representatives seats in new congressional districts.
