2002 Ohio gubernatorial election
 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County results Taft: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hagan: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
| Elections in Ohio |
|---|
 |
The 2002 Ohio gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican Governor of Ohio Bob Taft ran for re-election to a second and final term as governor, and he was opposed by Democratic nominee Tim Hagan, a former Cuyahoga County Commissioner. The race between Taft and Hagan was not competitive, and Taft was re-elected by a substantial margin, ensuring him a second term in office.
As of 2024, this is the last time that someone other than a current or former member of Congress was elected to the governorship.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Tim Hagan, former Cuyahoga County Commissioner and candidate for Cleveland Mayor in 1989
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tim Hagan | 467,572 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 467,572 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Bob Taft, incumbent Governor of Ohio
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Taft (incumbent) | 552,491 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 552,491 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[3] | Safe R | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[4] | Likely R | November 4, 2002 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Bob Taft (R) |
Tim Hagan (D) |
Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | October 29–31, 2002 | 725 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 57% | 39% | 3% |
Results
Taft won reelection easily, winning by nearly 19.5% and by 628,083 votes. Taft did well in most parts of the state. Hagan only managed to win six out of 88 counties. Hagan won Lorain County, Cuyahoga County, Summit County, Trumbull County, Mahoning County, and Athens County. Despite winning in a landslide Taft would go on to be extremely unpopular in his second term, leaving office with a 2% approval rating, the lowest for any statewide official in modern U.S. history. In 2006 Democrat Ted Strickland would easily go on to defeat Republican Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. It resulted in a gain for the Democrats, and was the first time they had obtained the governorship in 16 years.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Taft (incumbent) | 1,865,007 | 57.76% | +7.71% | |
| Democratic | Tim Hagan | 1,236,924 | 38.31% | −6.38% | |
| Independent | John Eastman | 126,686 | 3.92% | ||
| Write-ins | 375 | 0.01% | |||
| Majority | 628,083 | 19.45% | +14.09% | ||
| Turnout | 3,228,992 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Notes
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- ^ Results [dead link]
- ^ Results 2002 [dead link]
- ^ "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ 2002 results [dead link]