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Ohio's 6th congressional district

Coordinates: 38°45′N 83°0′W / 38.750°N 83.000°W / 38.750; -83.000
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Ohio's 6th congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
Distribution
  • 57.32% rural[1]
  • 42.68% urban
Population (2023)773,456[2]
Median household
income
$56,731[2]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+16[3]

Ohio's 6th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district which is represented by Representative Michael Rulli of the Republican Party. Rulli was elected to the seat after he defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak in the June 11, 2024 special election, caused by the resignation of incumbent Bill Johnson (R) on January 21, 2024.

This district runs along the eastern side of the state, bordering West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It stretches from Marietta through several Ohio River industrial towns all the way to the city of Youngstown.[4]

History

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When Bob McEwen was first elected in 1980, the sixth district of Ohio consisted of Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike, Scioto and Ross counties plus Clermont County outside the city of Loveland, Harrison Township in Vinton County and the Warren County townships of Clearcreek, Deerfield, Hamilton, Harlan, Massie, Salem and Wayne.[5] At that time, The Washington Post described the sixth district as "a fail-safe Republican district".[6]

The Ohio General Assembly redrew the sixth district following the results of the 1980 United States census. The boundaries from 1983 to 1987 included all of Adams, Clinton, Fayette, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton and Warren counties, plus Waterloo and York townships in Athens County; Wayne Township in Clermont County; Concord, Jasper, Marion, Perry, Union and Wayne townships in Fayette County; and Washington Township and the cities of Miamisburg and West Carrollton in Montgomery County.[7]

Beginning with the 100th Congress in 1987, adjustments were made by the legislature to the boundaries; reapportionment between censuses is unusual in American politics. A small part of the Montgomery County territory was detached, as were parts of Fayette County in Washington Court House in Union Township and the townships of Jasper and Marion. Part of Brown County was added, Jackson and Eagle Townships. These were the boundaries for the rest of McEwen's service in Congress.[8]

The district was largely rural and agricultural with no large cities. One of the major industries was the United States Department of Energy's Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant at Piketon, which manufactured uranium for nuclear weapons. The district was 97 per cent white with a median household income of $21,761.[9]

In 1992, the district was altered significantly to accommodate Ohio's loss of two House seats in redistricting. The state legislature anticipated that Clarence Miller of the neighboring Tenth District would retire, and thus combined the southern end of his district (which included Athens, Gallipolis, and Ironton) with most of the area previously represented by McEwen. Although the district did not include Miller's hometown of Lancaster, Miller decided not to retire and instead challenged McEwen in the Sixth District primary in 1992. The campaign was bitter, and McEwen eked out only a narrow victory. In November, McEwen was upset by Democrat Ted Strickland, a prison psychologist. Strickland himself was defeated in 1994 by Republican Frank Cremeans, but won the seat back in 1996.

For 2002 the district was shifted dramatically eastward. At the same time, it effectively ended the career of James Traficant in the neighboring 17th District by placing his hometown of Poland into the 6th. Traficant opted to run in his old district and lost. The district currently includes all of Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Gallia, Guernsey, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties, and portions of Athens, Mahoning, Muskingum, Scioto and Tuscarawas counties.

In 2010, Republican Bill Johnson defeated incumbent Democrat Charles Wilson, returning the seat to Republicans for the first time since 1997. Following the 2010 United States census, the bounds of the sixth district were changed again as Ohio lost two seats in Congress.[10]

In recent years and like much of coal country, the district has swung decidedly toward the Republican Party at local, state and national levels. After being a dead heat in presidential elections in 2000, 2004 and 2008, it swung hard to Donald Trump in 2016; Trump carried it with 69 percent of the vote over Hillary Clinton, his best showing in the state; the district swung to the right by 30 percent, more than any other in the nation. Trump won it almost as easily over Joe Biden in 2020, with 72 percent of the vote, again his best showing in Ohio.

List of members representing the district

[edit]
Member Party Year(s) Cong
ress
Electoral history
District established March 4, 1813
Vacant March 4, 1813 –
April 20, 1813
13th Member-elect John Stark Edwards died before commencement of term.

Reasin Beall
(Wooster)
Democratic-Republican April 20, 1813 –
June 7, 1814
Elected to finish Edwards's term.
Resigned.
Vacant June 7, 1814 –
October 11, 1814
David Clendenin
(Youngstown)
Democratic-Republican October 11, 1814 –
March 3, 1817
13th
14th
Elected to finish Beall's term.
Also elected the same day in 1814 to the next term.
Lost re-election.

Peter Hitchcock
(Burton)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1817 –
March 3, 1819
15th Elected in 1816.
Lost re-election.

John Sloane
(Wooster)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1819 –
March 3, 1823
16th
17th
Elected in 1816.
Re-elected in 1818.
Re-elected in 1820.
Redistricted to the 12th district.

Duncan McArthur
(Chillicothe)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825
18th Elected in 1822.
Lost re-election.
John Thomson
(Chillicothe)
Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1827
19th Elected in 1824.
Lost re-election.

William Creighton Jr.
(Chillicothe)
Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –
????, 1828
20th Elected in 1826.
Resigned to when appointed U.S. District Court for the District of Ohio.
Vacant ????, 1828 –
December 19, 1828
Francis Swaine Muhlenberg
(Circleville)
Anti-Jacksonian December 19, 1828 –
March 3, 1829
Elected to finish Creighton's term.
Was not elected to the next term.

William Creighton Jr.
(Chillicothe)
Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –
March 3, 1833
21st
22nd
Elected in 1828.
Re-elected in 1830.
[data missing]

Samuel Finley Vinton
(Gallipolis)
Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1835
23rd
24th
Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1832.
Re-elected in 1834.
[data missing]
Whig March 4, 1835 –
March 3, 1837

Calvary Morris
(Athens)
Whig March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1843
25th
26th
27th
Elected in 1836.
Re-elected in 1838.
Re-elected in 1840.
[data missing]
Henry St. John
(McCutchenville)
Democratic March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1847
28th
29th
Elected in 1843.
Re-elected in 1844.
[data missing]

Rodolphus Dickinson
(Lower Sandusky)
Democratic March 4, 1847 –
March 20, 1849
30th
31st
Elected in 1846.
Re-elected in 1848.
Died.
Vacant March 20, 1849 –
December 3, 1849
31st
Amos E. Wood
(Woodville)
Democratic December 3, 1849 –
November 19, 1850
Elected to finish Dickinson's term.
Died.
Vacant November 19, 1850 –
January 7, 1851
John Bell
(Fremont)
Whig January 7, 1851 –
March 3, 1851
Elected to finish Wood's term.
[data missing]
Frederick W. Green
(Tiffin)
Democratic March 4, 1851 –
March 3, 1853
32nd Elected in 1850.
Redistricted to the 9th district.
Andrew Ellison
(Georgetown)
Democratic March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
33rd Elected in 1852.
[data missing]

Jonas R. Emrie
(Hillsboro)
Opposition March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1857
34th Elected in 1854.
[data missing]

Joseph R. Cockerill
(West Union)
Democratic March 4, 1857 –
March 3, 1859
35th Elected in 1856.
[data missing]
William Howard
(Batavia)
Democratic March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861
36th Elected in 1858.
[data missing]

Chilton A. White
(Georgetown)
Democratic March 4, 1861 –
March 3, 1865
37th
38th
Elected in 1860.
Re-elected in 1862.
[data missing]

Reader W. Clarke
(Batavia)
Republican March 4, 1865 –
March 3, 1869
39th
40th
Elected in 1864.
Re-elected in 1866.
[data missing]
John Armstrong Smith
(Hillsboro)
Republican March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1873
41st
42nd
Elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
[data missing]

Isaac R. Sherwood
(Bryan)
Republican March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
43rd Elected in 1872.
[data missing]

Frank H. Hurd
(Toledo)
Democratic March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877
44th Elected in 1874.
[data missing]

Jacob Dolson Cox
(Toledo)
Republican March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879
45th Elected in 1876.
[data missing]

William D. Hill
(Defiance)
Democratic March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1881
46th Elected in 1878.
[data missing]
James M. Ritchie
(Toledo)
Republican March 3, 1881 –
March 3, 1883
47th Elected in 1880.
[data missing]

William D. Hill
(Defiance)
Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
48th
49th
Elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
[data missing]

Melvin M. Boothman
(Bryan)
Republican March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1891
50th
51st
Elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
[data missing]

Dennis D. Donovan
(Deshler)
Democratic March 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1893
52nd Elected in 1890.
Redistricted to the 5th district.

George W. Hulick
(Batavia)
Republican March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1897
53rd
54th
Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
[data missing]

Seth W. Brown
(Lebanon)
Republican March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1901
55th
56th
Elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
[data missing]

Charles Q. Hildebrant
(Wilmington)
Republican March 4, 1901 –
March 3, 1905
57th
58th
Elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
[data missing]

Thomas E. Scroggy
(Xenia)
Republican March 4, 1905 –
March 3, 1907
59th Elected in 1904.
[data missing]

Matthew Denver
(Wilmington)
Democratic March 4, 1907 –
March 3, 1913
60th
61st
62nd
Elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
[data missing]

Simeon D. Fess
(Yellow Springs)
Republican March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1915
63rd Elected in 1912.
Redistricted to the 7th district.

Charles Cyrus Kearns
(Amelia)
Republican March 4, 1915 –
March 3, 1931
64th
65th
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th
71st
Elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Lost re-election.

James G. Polk
(Highland)
Democratic March 3, 1931 –
January 3, 1941
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
76th
Elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Retired.

Jacob E. Davis
(Waverly)
Democratic January 3, 1941 –
January 3, 1943
77th Elected in 1940.
Lost re-election.

Edward Oscar McCowen
(Wheelersburg)
Republican January 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1949
78th
79th
80th
Elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Lost re-election.

James G. Polk
(Highland)
Democratic January 3, 1949 –
April 28, 1959
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
Elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Died.
Vacant April 28, 1959 –
November 8, 1960
86th
Ward Miller
(Portsmouth)
Republican November 8, 1960 –
January 3, 1961
Elected to finish Polk's term.
Was not a candidate for the next term.

Bill Harsha
(Portsmouth)
Republican January 3, 1961 –
January 3, 1981
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th
96th
Elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Retired.

Bob McEwen
(Hillsboro)
Republican January 3, 1981 –
January 3, 1993
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
Elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Lost re-election.

Ted Strickland
(Lucasville)
Democratic January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 1995
103rd Elected in 1992.
Lost re-election.

Frank Cremeans
(Gallipolis)
Republican January 3, 1995 –
January 3, 1997
104th Elected in 1994.
Lost re-election.

Ted Strickland
(Lucasville)
Democratic January 3, 1997 –
January 3, 2007
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
Elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Retired to become Governor of Ohio.

Charlie Wilson
(St. Clairsville)
Democratic January 3, 2007 –
January 3, 2011
110th
111th
Elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Lost re-election.

Bill Johnson
(Marietta)
Republican January 3, 2011 –
January 21, 2024
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
118th
Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Resigned to become president of Youngstown State University.
Vacant January 21, 2024 –
June 25, 2024
118th

Michael Rulli
(Salem)
Republican June 25, 2024 –
present
Elected to finish Johnson's term.

Recent election results

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The following chart shows historic election results.

Year Democratic Republican Other
1920 Cleona Searles: 30,903 Charles C. Kearns (Incumbent): 38,044
1922 William N. Gableman: 28,939 Charles C. Kearns (Incumbent): 32,416
1924 Edward N. Kennedy:[a] 29,283 Charles C. Kearns (Incumbent): 33,064
1926 Edward H. Kennedy:[a] 24,730 Charles C. Kearns (Incumbent): 27,688
1928 George D. Nye: 33,020 Charles C. Kearns (Incumbent): 43,519
1930 James G. Polk: 37,158 Charles C. Kearns (Incumbent): 33,300
1932 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 50,913 Mack Sauer: 39,668
1934 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 42,340 Albert L. Daniels: 38,538 Mark A. Crawford: 312
1936 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 54,904 Emory F. Smith: 45,733
1938 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 43,646 Emory F. Smith: 42,847
1940 Jacob E. Davis: 52,769 Chester P. Fitch: 48,257
1942 Jacob E. Davis (Incumbent): 31,793 Edward O. McCowen: 33,171
1944 John W. Bush: 42,167 Edward O. McCowen (Incumbent): 45,284
1946 Franklin E. Smith: 33,013 Edward O. McCowen (Incumbent): 39,992
1948 James G. Polk: 46,944 Edward O. McCowen (Incumbent): 41,402
1950 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 40,335 Edward O. McCowen: 38,996
1952 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 67,220 Leo Blackburn: 66,896
1954 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 54,044 Leo Blackburn: 49,531
1956 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 72,229 Albert L. Daniels: 60,300
1958 James G. Polk (Incumbent): 76,566 Elmer S. Barrett: 46,924
1960 Franklin E. Smith: 65,045 Bill Harsha: 80,124
1960 s[b] Gladys E. Davis: 61,713 Ward Miller: 76,520
1962 Jerry C. Rasor: 47,737 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 72,743
1964 Franklin E. Smith: 57,223 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 86,015
1966 Ottie W. Reno: 35,345 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 74,847
1968 Kenneth L. Kirby: 40,964 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 107,289
1970 Raymond H. Stevens: 39,265 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 82,772
1972 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 128,394
1974 Lloyd Allan Wood: 42,316 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 93,400
1976 Ted Strickland: 67,067 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 107,064
1978 Ted Strickland: 46,313 Bill Harsha (Incumbent): 85,592
1980 Ted Strickland: 84,235 Bob McEwen: 101,288
1982 Lynn Alan Grimshaw: 63,435 Bob McEwen (Incumbent): 92,135
1984 Bob Smith: 52,727 Bob McEwen (Incumbent): 150,101
1986 Gordon R. Roberts: 42,155 Bob McEwen (Incumbent): 106,354 Amos Seeley: 2,829
1988 Gordon R. Roberts: 52,635 Bob McEwen (Incumbent): 152,235
1990 Ray Mitchell: 47,415 Bob McEwen (Incumbent): 117,220
1992 Ted Strickland: 122,720 Bob McEwen (Incumbent):[c] 119,252
1994 Ted Strickland (Incumbent): 87,861 Frank Cremeans: 91,263
1996 Ted Strickland: 118,003 Frank Cremeans (Incumbent): 111,907
1998 Ted Strickland (Incumbent): 102,852 Nancy P. Hollister: 77,711
2000 Ted Strickland (Incumbent): 138,849 Mike Azinger: 96,966 Kenneth R. MacCutcheon (L): 4,759
2002 Ted Strickland (Incumbent): 113,972 Mike Halleck: 77,643
2004 Ted Strickland (Incumbent): 223,884 None John Stephen Luchansky (Write-in): 145
2006 Charles A. Wilson Jr.: 131,322 Chuck Blasdel: 80,705
2008 Charles A. Wilson Jr. (Incumbent): 176,330 Richard Stobbs: 92,968 Dennis Spisak (G): 13,812
2010 Charles A. Wilson Jr. (Incumbent): 91,039 Bill Johnson: 101,580 Richard Cadle (C): 4,963
Martin Elass (L): 4,424
2012[11] Charles A. Wilson Jr.: 144,444 Bill Johnson (Incumbent): 164,536
2014 Jennifer Garrison: 73,561 Bill Johnson (Incumbent): 111,026 Dennis Lambert (G): 6,065
2016 Michael L. Lorentz: 88,780 Bill Johnson (Incumbent): 213,975
2018 Shawna Roberts: 76,716 Bill Johnson (Incumbent): 172,774
2020 Shawna Roberts: 85,661 Bill Johnson (Incumbent): 249,130
2022 Louis Lyras: 90,500 Bill Johnson (Incumbent): 189,883
2024 s Michael Kripchak: 27,062 Michael Rulli: 32,627

Results from the 2002 House Election in OH-6 2004OH6 Ohio 6th District Results - 2006 2008CharlieWilson 2010CharlieWilson

Election results from statewide races

[edit]

Election results from presidential races:

Year Office Results
2000 President George W. Bush 49 - Al Gore 47%
2004 President George W. Bush 51 - John Kerry 49%
2008 President John McCain 50 - Barack Obama 48%
2012 President Mitt Romney 55 - Barack Obama 43%
2016 President Donald Trump 69 - Hillary Clinton 27%
2020 President Donald Trump 72 - Joe Biden 26%

Historical district boundaries

[edit]
2003–2013
2013–2023

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Probable error in records: Edward H. Kennedy, the Democratic nominee in 1926, and Edward N. Kennedy, the Democratic nominee in 1924, are most probably the same person. Which name is correct is unknown.
  2. ^ A separate, special election was held to fill out Polk's unexpired term. Miller, the winner of this election, served the remainder of 1960, until Harsha's term began in 1961.
  3. ^ Redistricting following the 1990 census resulted in putting two Republican incumbents, Bob McEwen and Clarence E. Miller (incumbent in the 10th District), in the new Sixth District. McEwen defeated Miller in a bitterly fought Republican primary election in 1992.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based)". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "My Congressional District".
  3. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Ohio congressional districts 2010, ohiofreepress.com.
  5. ^ Ohio. Secretary of State. Official Roster of Federal, State, and County Officers and Departmental Information for 1991-1992. Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 1991. 330-335.
  6. ^ "Election 80: New Faces in the House". The Washington Post. November 23, 1980. A15.
  7. ^ Ohio. Secretary of State. Official Roster of Federal, State, and County Officers and Departmental Information for 1991-1992. Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 1991. 330-335; United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. 1987-1988 Official Congressional Directory, 100th Congress. Duncan Nystrom, editor. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1987.
  8. ^ Ohio. Secretary of State. Official Roster of Federal, State, and County Officers and Departmental Information for 1991-1992. Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 1991. 330-335; United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Printing. 1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory, 102d Congress. Duncan Nystrom, editor. S. Pub. 102-4. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1991.
  9. ^ Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa. The Almanac of American Politics, 1994. Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 1993. ISBN 0-89234-058-4.
  10. ^ "APPORTIONMENT POPULATION AND NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, BY STATE: 2010 CENSUS" (PDF). US Census. December 21, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  11. ^ "2012 Election Results". Ohio Secretary of State. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.

Sources

[edit]

38°45′N 83°0′W / 38.750°N 83.000°W / 38.750; -83.000