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Ohio, State House, District 8

Ohio House of Representatives District 8
Current incumbentKent Smith Democratic Party
Population104,966
Ethnicity57.56% Black (Voting-Age), 1.54% Hispanic (Voting-Age)
Voting age76.65% age 18 and over

Ohio's eighth state house district is represented by Democratic Representative Kent Smith.

As of the 2010 census, a total of 104,966 civilians reside within Ohio's eighth state house district. Ohio state representatives represent an average of 116,530 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 116,530 residents.

About the office

Members of the Ohio House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. Representatives may serve no more than four consecutive terms. Ohio legislators assume office January 1st.

Qualifications

Article 2, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution states: "Senators and representatives shall have resided in their respective districts one year next preceding their election, unless they shall have been absent on the public business of the United States, or of this state."

Article 2, Section 5 of the Ohio Constitution states: "No person hereafter convicted of an embezzlement of the public funds, shall hold any office in this state; nor shall any person, holding public money for disbursement, or otherwise, have a seat in the General Assembly, until he shall have accounted for, and paid such money into the treasury."

Salaries

State legislators
SalaryPer diem
$60,584/yearNo per diem is paid.

Term limits

The Ohio legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Ohio Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Ohio representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the house, the seat must be filled by an election conducted by House members. Also, the election can only be conducted by the same members of the political party that hold the seat. A simple majority vote is needed in order to approve a replacement.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Ohio House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for March 17, 2020. The filing deadline was December 18, 2019.

2018

General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Kent Smith (D) won election in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 8 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Kent Smith (D)
100
36,688

Total votes: 36,688
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Kent Smith defeated Cassandra McDonald in the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 8 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Kent Smith (D)
59.2
6,890

Cassandra McDonald (D)
40.8
4,749

Total votes: 11,639
Republican primary election

No Republican candidates ran in the primary.

2016

Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015.

Incumbent Kent Smith defeated Cassandra McDonald in the Ohio House of Representatives District 8 general election.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 8 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Kent Smith Incumbent 79.81% 40,634
Republican Cassandra McDonald 20.19% 10,280
Total Votes 50,914
Source: Ohio Secretary of State

Incumbent Kent Smith ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 8 Democratic primary.

Ohio House of Representatives District 8, Democratic Primary, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Kent Smith Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 13,057
Total Votes 13,057

Cassandra McDonald ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 8 Republican primary.

Ohio House of Representatives District 8, Republican Primary, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.png Cassandra McDonald (unopposed) 100.00% 3,423
Total Votes 3,423


2014

Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 5, 2014. Kent Smith defeated Sylvia James in the Democratic primary, while Mikhail Alterman was unopposed in the Republican primary. Jocelyn Conwell ran as an Independent candidate. Smith defeated Alterman and Conwell in the general election.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 8 General Election, 2014

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngKent Smith 71.6% 21,420
Republican Mikhail Alterman 18.3% 5,472
Independent Jocelyn Conwell 10.1% 3,027
Total Votes 29,919

Ohio House of Representatives, District 8 Democratic Primary, 2014

2012

Elections for the office of Ohio House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on March 6, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 7, 2011. Incumbent Armond Budish (D) defeated Tony Hocevar (R) in the general election and Azaadjeet Singh in the Democratic primary. Hocevar was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 8, General Election, 2012

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMike Dovilla Incumbent 82.8% 40,877
Republican Tony Hocevar 17.2% 8,472
Total Votes 49,349

Ohio House of Representatives Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngArmond Budish Incumbent 84.5% 9,659
Azaadjeet Singh 15.5% 1,767
Total Votes 11,426

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Ohio House of Representatives District 8 raised a total of $5,124,677. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $222,812 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Ohio House of Representatives District 8

Year Amount Candidates Average
2016 $45,430 2 $22,715
2014 $52,956 4 $13,239
2012 $764,858 3 $254,953
2010 $2,283,267 3 $761,089
2008 $1,387,410 2 $693,705
2006 $461,346 4 $115,337
2004 $46,800 1 $46,800
2002 $38,461 2 $19,231
2000 $44,149 2 $22,075
Total $5,124,677 23 $222,812