TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - There were no upsets in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan congressional races Tuesday. All incumbents held their seats, and will be headed back to Congress next year.
In a race that shaped up to be one of the most expensive in the country, Senator Sherrod Brown (D) defeated Republican challenger and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel. According to OpenSecrets.org, over $68 million was spent in the race. Brown defeated Mandel, gaining 50 percent of the vote to Mandel's 45 percent. Independent Scott Rupert got the remaining 5 percent in the race.
Longtime Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D) was also re-elected Tuesday. Kaptur faced perhaps the most challenging path back to Washington in her nearly 30 years representing Ohio's 9th Congressional District. As part of redistricting earlier this year, Kaptur's district was combined with that of fellow Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Kaptur beat Kucinich in the primary, and went on to defeat Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher (R) Tuesday. Wurzelbacher gained national fame for a brief period in 2008 after challenging then candidate Barack Obama on his tax plan on the lawn of his Holland, OH, home. Kaptur easily defeated Wurzelbacher, receiving 73 percent of the vote. Wurzelbacher took home 23 percent. Libertarian Sean Stipe got the remaining 4 percent of the vote.
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) beat challenger Pete Hoekstra (R) with 58 percent of the vote to Hoekstra's 38 percent.
Three Ohio congressmen are headed back to the House of Representatives, as well. Jim Jordan (R), Bob Latta (R) and Bob Gibbs (R) all won re-election Tuesday.
