The November 2010 election in Ohio resulted in a party change for the Governor's position. Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland was defeated by Republican challenger John Kasich by a margin of 49% to 47%http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/candidate-list/#state=OH

In the November 2, 2010 election, Ohio voters chose Republican Rob Portman over Democrat Lee Fisher in the U.S. Senate race. According to CNN, Portman received 57% of the votes compared to 39% of Fisher with 87% of the precincts counted.http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/state/#OH

Additionally, 18 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were on the ballot with five of them resulting in a gain for the Republicans in the House.http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/state/#OH http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/candidate-list/#state=OH

Five districts voted in a new party for the House of Representatives in 2010.http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/candidate-list/#state=OH

• House Of Representatives District 1 Race - Steve Chabot (R) defeated incumbent Steve Driehaus (D)
• House Of Representatives District 6 Race - Bill Johnson (R) defeated incumbent Charlie Wilson (D)
• House Of Representatives District 15 Race - Steve Stivers (R) defeated incumbent Mary Jo Kilroy (D)
• House Of Representatives District 16 Race - Jim Renacci (R) defeated incumbent John Boccieri (D)
• House Of Representatives District 18 Race - Bob Gibbs (R) defeated incumbent Zack Space (D)

On November 3, 2009, voters passed Issue 1, Issue 2 and Issue 3. Issue 1 approved a bonus for veterans of recent wars. Issue 2 thwarted animal rights groups and will set up a board to oversee livestock care. Issue 3 paved the way for four casinos to open in Ohio.http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/local_govtpolitics/article/decision_2009_live_election_results/26011/

Barack Obama won Ohio's 20 electoral votes on election night, November 4, 2008. Returns showed Obama with as much as a four point lead over John McCain for much of the evening. Both MSNBC and CNN projected Obama would carry the state about two hours after the polls closed.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25382264/race/president Voters in Ohio also voted "no" on Issue 6— a referendum to allow a private casino in southwest Ohio.http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=1035738&c=y

Ohio was considered by many to be a must-win for both presidential candidates.http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Oct30/0,4670,ElectionRdp,00.html In the week leading up to Election Day, Barack Obama held a narrow lead in the polls over John McCain.http://www.pollster.com/polls/oh/08-oh-pres-ge-mvo.php

Voters in the state of Ohio played a pivotal role in the outcomes of both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, both of which were extremely close. In 2000, the state narrowly awarded its' 20 electoral votes to George W. Bush over Al Gore, after a 36-day legal fight over its punch-card ballots. Eventually Bush was declared the winner by just 537 votes. That decision awarded Bush the presidency.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16524-2004Jul26.html

In the 2004 election, George W. Bush beat John Kerry in Ohio by another very slim margin of 51% to 49%— a difference of just under 119,000 votes.http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004//pages/results/states/OH/index.html On the morning after the election, Kerry initially refused to concede the race, arguing that more than 250,000 provisional ballots still had to be counted before results could be certified.http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/02/states.vote/ Eventually, Kerry decided not to dispute Bush's win.http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen/4

• 2008 Presidential Election Winner: Barack Obamahttp://elections.foxnews.com/states_map/index.html?stateAbbr=OHM

• Winner of Ohio's Twenty Electoral Votes: Barack Obamahttp://elections.foxnews.com/states_map/index.html?stateAbbr=OHM
• Margin of victory: 51% to 47%http://elections.foxnews.com/states_map/index.html?stateAbbr=OHM