the bistro off broadway
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Tom and Aleene Cromwell record votes in an otherwise empty room at the Darke County Board
of Elections. With local elections unopposed, party supporters were either at their headquarters or
at home watching the returns.
  
Election 2012
State issues fail, Statehouse doesn’t change
By Bob Robinson

“When it was only 71 percent for Romney, I knew we had lost Ohio. What a sinking feeling it is… what is wrong with the American people?”

This comment summarized the feelings of one Romney supporter as presidential candidate Mitt Romney did not do as well in Darke County as expected.

Another Romney supporter wrote on Wednesday morning: “With two real choices at our disposal, ‘We The People’ turned out to be too many of ‘we the wrong people.’ I'll buy some cheese for my fine wine and watch the whole deck of cards, once known as Liberty, fall apart!!!”

A third simply said, “Unbelievable!”

There weren’t many smiles at either the Democratic or Republican headquarters as at 10 p.m., battleground states Ohio, Virginia and Florida were too close to call. Ohio was called for President Barack Obama at 11:16 p.m., making Virginia and Florida irrelevant.

Republican Party Chairwoman Cindy Pike noted that regardless of the outcome, she was proud of the way people worked in Darke County.

“I just wish the state would ‘go as Darke County goes’,” she said.

Republican volunteer Dori Howdieshell added “it will be a sad day if things don’t turn out that way.”

At the Democratic headquarters, Darke County Democratic Chairman Jim Surber noted the race was in a statistical dead heat.

He added that it would be ironic if Romney got the popular vote and Obama got the electoral vote. As it turned out, he was almost right… Obama received a bare majority of two million votes as of Wednesday morning.

Surber said he was surprised at one detail in the Darke County vote.

“Obama got a higher percentage of support (26.6 percent) than (Sen. Sherrod) Brown did (26.4 percent).

“Brown was key in eliminating the CO2 issue we had here. Makes you wonder how close people pay attention,” he said.

Statewide, Brown defeated his challenger, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandell.

Issue 1, requiring a Constitutional Convention to change the Ohio Constitution, was defeated, as was Issue 2, taking redistricting out of the hands of elected officials and putting an appointed board in charge. Darke County also voted down both issues.

The Statehouse picture didn’t change for Darke County as State Senator Keith Faber handily defeated challenger Paul Hinds, 84 percent to 16 percent; State Representative Richard Adams defeated Dave Fisher, 74 percent to 26 percent; and State Representative Jim Buchy defeated Ronald Hammons, 83 percent to 17 percent. These are Darke County numbers; however all candidates retained their seats.

U.S. Representative, House Speaker John Boehner also retained his seat.

All county candidates were unopposed. Reelected were Darke County Commissioners Michael Rhoades and Diane Delaplane, Prosecuting Attorney R. Kelly Ormsby, Clerk of Courts Cindy Pike, Sheriff Toby Spencer, Recorder Linda Stachler, Treasurer Scott Zumbrink, Engineer Jim Surber, Coroner Timothy Kathman and Common Pleas Probate and Juvenile Court Judge Jason Aslinger.

Darke County voter turnout was 24,834 out of 36,447, or 68 percent.

Other candidates and local issue results can be found at the Darke County Board of Elections


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At the Republican headquarters, volunteer Dori Howdieshell (left) and Darke County Clerk of
Courts and Party Chairwoman Cindy Pike watch the returns.
 
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At the Democratic headquarters, Darke County Engineer and Party Chairman Jim Surber (left),
and volunteer Ted Finnarn, watch the state and national returns.
 
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