1974 Ohio Attorney General election
November 5, 1974
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County results Brown: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Smith: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Ohio |
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The 1974 Ohio Attorney General election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect the Ohio Attorney General. Democratic incumbent William J. Brown defeated Republican challenger, Prosecuting Attorney of Franklin County George Curtis Smith, by a wide margin of nearly 20 percentage points.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- William J. Brown, incumbent Ohio Attorney General (1971–1983)
Campaign
The Democratic primary was held on May 7, 1974. Brown won renomination unopposed.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William J. Brown | 742,290 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 742,290 | 100% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- George Curtis Smith, Prosecuting Attorney of Franklin County (1971–1980)
- David Dudley Dowd Jr., Prosecuting Attorney of Stark County (1967–1975)
- Stan Aronoff, Ohio State Senator (1967–1996)
Campaign
The Republican primary was held on May 7, 1974. Smith very narrowly defeated Dowd and Aranoff to seize the Republican nomination, winning just 35.55% of the vote.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Curtis Smith | 182,641 | 35.55% | |
| Republican | David Dudley Dowd Jr. | 179,500 | 34.94% | |
| Republican | Stan Aronoff | 151,661 | 29.52% | |
| Total votes | 513,802 | 100% | ||
General election
Candidates
- William J. Brown, incumbent Ohio Attorney General (1971–1983) (Democratic)
- George Curtis Smith, Prosecuting Attorney of Franklin County (1971–1980) (Republican)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William J. Brown | 1,645,923 | 59.07% | +3.64% | |
| Republican | George Curtis Smith | 1,140,556 | 40.93% | −3.63% | |
| Total votes | 2,786,479 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ "Democratic Primary: May 7, 1974 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State.
- ^ "Republican Primary: May 7, 1974 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State.
- ^ "General Election Overview: November 5, 1974". Retrieved October 20, 2025.