Unofficial results of last night’s general election are in.
15th Congressional District Election
Mike Carey has been declared the projected winner over Allison Russo for Ohio's 15th congressional district.
Carey, a coal lobbyist who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, will be holding public office for the first time in his career. His opponent Allison Russo has served as a State Representative for Ohio's 24th district since 2018.
The 15th congressional district has been gerrymandered to favor a Republican and has had a republican in office for 54 out of the last 60 years. The district includes parts of urban and suburban Columbus and extends south into rural Appalachia Ohio.
Democrat Shontel Brown also coasted to victory in a second up-for-grabs congressional district in the Cleveland area. The results of Tuesday's special elections leave Democrats with a 221-213 advantage over Republicans in Congress, with Carey and Brown each retaining a seat for their respective party.
Columbus City Council
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, Nick Bankston, and Lourdes Barroso de Padilla have been elected to fill three open Columbus City Council seats.
According to unofficial results, Shannon Hardin received 29% of the vote, and both Nick Bankston and Lourdes Barroso de Padilla received 27% of the vote.
The openings come after council members Mitchell Brown and Priscilla Tyson did not seek re-election. Shannon Hardin was up for re-election this year.
Issue 7
Columbus residents have voted against Ballot Issue 7 which claimed to implement clean energy initiatives but had many critics.
Many state and local officials, including Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, voiced their concern over the ballot issue in the weeks leading up to the election.
Community organizations such as the Columbus Urban League and The Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund also voiced their disapproval of the ballot issue.
According to unofficial results, the proposed ordinance received only 13% of the vote, with 87% of Columbus residents voting against it.
School Board Races
Over the summer, the world of K-12 education took a center seat when it comes to hot topics — like critical race theory and more recently, mask mandates in schools.
Districts like Hilliard City Schools, Olentangy Local Schools, and Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools all have candidates running on platforms against mask mandates.
For the full list of unofficial results from local school board races, visit the Franklin County Board of Elections website.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
