Incumbent Republican State Sen. Tim Schaffer will retain his seat in Ohio Senate District 20, which has been held by the Republican party for more than 50 years.
Schaffer, 61, won reelection in a victory against Democratic challenger Nick Hubbell, according to preliminary election results from the Ohio Secretary of State.
Preliminary results show Schaffer earned 67.6% of the vote across Fairfield, Licking and Perry Counties.
“I feel real good,” Schaffer said. “We’ve worked the campaign hard. It’s a full-time effort.”
After his win, Schaffer reflected on his “invigorating” political experience during this election cycle.
“It’s the process of campaigning that is most enjoyable,” Schaffer said. “The voters have been more engaged this year than any other election.”
At an Oct. 10 pre-election candidate forum co-hosted by The Reporting Project, WCLT Radio and the Ohio Farm Bureau of Licking County, Schaffer said, “I’ve passed numerous bills that benefit our Licking County residents, and I’m very proud of that – and I’m proud to be your state senator.”
During the forum, Schaffer said he intends to use his next term to work with tech giants – including computer chip manufacturer Intel, Google and Microsoft – as they develop large facilities on land in Licking County.
Schaffer says Ohio’s State Senate has set a great example for other states and for Congress in that he says Republicans and Democrats work well with each other, and that was a reason for his reelection campaign.
Schaffer’s opponent in the race, Nick Hubbell, of Johnstown, hoped to push for workers rights, a higher minimum wage and younger policy makers. Hubbell, who was born in 1999, was the youngest candidate running to represent Licking County this election year.
“I am very proud of the campaign we ran,” Hubbell said. “ It’s [the election] about the connections we make, the voices we amplify, and the groundwork we lay for lasting change in our communities.
Responding to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey prior to the election, Hubbell said “The most important characteristics for an elected official include empathy, a deep connection with the community, and the ability to actively listen to and understand the concerns of their constituents.”
After the polling booths closed, Hubbell chose to spend his time at home.
Schaffer reported thousands of dollars in monetary donations leading up to the general election, including $2,000 from Douglas Poorman of the Petplex Animal Hospital, $1,800 from developer Yaromir Steiner, $1,000 from Eugene Huck of Artex Oil, and $500 from Park Shai of Shai Real Estate, according to financial disclosure reports from the Ohio Secretary of State.
Hubbell reported dozens of donations, including $2,376.44 from the Every Blue State Political Action Committee and $500 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union in Newark.
Owen Baker and Caroline Zollinger write for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.