1994 Ohio State Auditor election
November 8, 1994
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County results Petro: 50–60% 60–70% 70-80% Sweeney: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Ohio |
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The 1994 Ohio State Auditor election was held on November 8, 1994, to elect the Ohio State Auditor. Primaries were held on May 3, 1994. Democratic incumbent Ohio State Auditor Thomas E. Ferguson chose to retire rather than seek another term.
Republican Cuyahoga County Commissioner and previously unsuccessful 1990 candidate for this office Jim Petro won the election, defeating Democrat Randall W. Sweeney by 16 percentage points.
This election marked the end of the Democrats' and the Ferguson family dynasty's control of the office of Ohio State Auditor; they had collectively held the office for 24 years, from 1971 until 1995.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Randall W. Sweeney
- Ray T. Kest, Lucas County Treasurer (1988–2004)
Campaign
Sweeney easily won the nomination over Lucas County Treasurer Ray T. Kest, winning by over 30 percentage points.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Randall W. Sweeney | 508,324 | 67.39% | |
| Democratic | Ray T. Kest | 245,971 | 32.61% | |
| Total votes | 739,724 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Jim Petro, Cuyahoga County Commissioner (1991–1995)
Campaign
Petro won the Republican nomination unopposed.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Petro | 609,280 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 609,280 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Jim Petro, Cuyahoga County Commissioner (1991–1995) (Republican)
- Randall W. Sweeney (Democratic)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Petro | 1,883,852 | 58.48% | +11.28% | |
| Democratic | Randall W. Sweeney | 1,337,558 | 41.52% | −11.28% | |
| Total votes | 3,266,718 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
References
- ^ "Democratic Primary: May 3, 1994 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Republican Primary: May 3, 1994 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "General Election: November 8, 1994 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved October 28, 2025.