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Tom
and Aleene Cromwell record votes in an otherwise empty room at the
Darke County Board
of Elections. With local elections unopposed, party supporters were
either at their headquarters or
at home watching the returns.
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Election 2012
State issues
fail, Statehouse doesn’t change
By Bob Robinson
“When it was only 71 percent for Romney, I knew we had lost Ohio. What
a sinking feeling it is… what is wrong with the American people?”
This comment summarized the feelings of one Romney supporter as
presidential candidate Mitt Romney did not do as well in Darke County
as expected.
Another Romney supporter wrote on Wednesday morning: “With two real
choices at our disposal, ‘We The People’ turned out to be too many of
‘we the wrong people.’ I'll buy some cheese for my fine wine and watch
the whole deck of cards, once known as Liberty, fall apart!!!”
A third simply said, “Unbelievable!”
There weren’t many smiles at either the Democratic or Republican
headquarters as at 10 p.m., battleground states Ohio, Virginia and
Florida were too close to call. Ohio was called for President Barack
Obama at 11:16 p.m., making Virginia and Florida irrelevant.
Republican Party Chairwoman Cindy Pike noted that regardless of the
outcome, she was proud of the way people worked in Darke County.
“I just wish the state would ‘go as Darke County goes’,” she said.
Republican volunteer Dori Howdieshell added “it will be a sad day if
things don’t turn out that way.”
At the Democratic headquarters, Darke County Democratic Chairman Jim
Surber noted the race was in a statistical dead heat.
He added that it would be ironic if Romney got the popular vote and
Obama got the electoral vote. As it turned out, he was almost right…
Obama received a bare majority of two million votes as of Wednesday
morning.
Surber said he was surprised at one detail in the Darke County vote.
“Obama got a higher percentage of support (26.6 percent) than (Sen.
Sherrod) Brown did (26.4 percent).
“Brown was key in eliminating the CO2 issue we had here. Makes you
wonder how close people pay attention,” he said.
Statewide, Brown defeated his challenger, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandell.
Issue 1, requiring a Constitutional Convention to change the Ohio
Constitution, was defeated, as was Issue 2, taking redistricting out of
the hands of elected officials and putting an appointed board in
charge. Darke County also voted down both issues.
The Statehouse picture didn’t change for Darke County as State Senator
Keith Faber handily defeated challenger Paul Hinds, 84 percent to 16
percent; State Representative Richard Adams defeated Dave Fisher, 74
percent to 26 percent; and State Representative Jim Buchy defeated
Ronald Hammons, 83 percent to 17 percent. These are Darke County
numbers; however all candidates retained their seats.
U.S. Representative, House Speaker John Boehner also retained his seat.
All county candidates were unopposed. Reelected were Darke County
Commissioners Michael Rhoades and Diane Delaplane, Prosecuting Attorney
R. Kelly Ormsby, Clerk of Courts Cindy Pike, Sheriff Toby Spencer,
Recorder Linda Stachler, Treasurer Scott Zumbrink, Engineer Jim Surber,
Coroner Timothy Kathman and Common Pleas Probate and Juvenile Court
Judge Jason Aslinger.
Darke County voter turnout was 24,834 out of 36,447, or 68 percent.
Other candidates and local issue results can be found at the Darke
County Board of Elections
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At
the Republican headquarters, volunteer Dori Howdieshell (left) and
Darke County Clerk of
Courts and Party Chairwoman Cindy Pike watch the returns.
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At
the Democratic headquarters, Darke County Engineer and Party Chairman
Jim Surber (left),
and volunteer Ted Finnarn, watch the state and national returns.
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