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1986 Ohio gubernatorial election

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1986 Ohio gubernatorial election

← 1982 November 4, 1986 1990 →
 
Nominee Dick Celeste Jim Rhodes
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,858,372 1,207,264
Percentage 60.6% 39.4%

Celeste:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Rhodes:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Dick Celeste
Democratic

Elected Governor

Dick Celeste
Democratic

The 1986 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dick Celeste ran against four time former Governor Jim Rhodes, who had previously defeated the last two incumbent Democratic governors in 1962 and 1974. The two had faced off before in 1978, with Rhodes winning by 47,536 votes for his fourth victory. Eight years later, at the age of 77, Rhodes was attempting to win a record fifth term. However, Celeste won by an even bigger margin than he did four years earlier, becoming the first Democrat to win consecutive elections for Governor since Frank Lausche, who won four consecutive times in 1948, 1950, 1952, and 1954. As of 2022, this is the last time a Democrat was re-elected Governor of Ohio and the only time a Democrat won a second four-year term. Democrats wouldn't win another gubernatorial election in Ohio until 2006.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Dick Celeste, Governor of Ohio

Results

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Democratic primary results [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dick Celeste (Incumbent) 684,206 99.87
Democratic Write-ins 880 0.13
Total votes 685,086 100.0

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Rhodes 352,261 48.19
Republican Paul E. Gillmor 281,737 38.54
Republican Paul E. Pfeifer 96,948 13.26
Total votes 730,946 100.00

General election

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Results

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Ohio gubernatorial election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Dick Celeste (Incumbent) 1,858,372 60.6 +1.2
Republican Jim Rhodes 1,207,264 39.4 +0.5
Write-ins 975
Majority 651,108 21.2
Turnout 3,065,636
Democratic hold Swing

References

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