Gov. John Kasich Retains Governor Seat In Ohio

Republican John Kasich has coasted to a second term as Ohio's governor by defeating Cleveland Democrat Ed FitzGerald. Tuesday's victory was expected after a series of campaign missteps by the Cuyahoga County executive left him seriously behind in polls and fundraising. Early on, the 62-year-old Kasich was seen as vulnerable largely because of political fallout from a collective-bargaining battle he lost against public employee unions in 2011. But FitzGerald suffered a series of political blows this summer that included dismal fundraising, the departure of two top staffers and revelations that he lacked a permanent driver's license for more than a decade. Kasich ran on his record of job creation in the wake of a punishing recession and his efforts to rein in Ohio government spending and cut taxes.