1982 Ohio State Treasurer election
November 2, 1982
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County results Withrow: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% Rinehart: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Ohio |
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The 1982 Ohio State Treasurer election was held on November 2, 1982, to elect the Ohio State Treasurer. Democratic incumbent Ohio State Treasurer Gertrude Walton Donahey chose not to seek re-election following an embezzlement scandal. Primaries were held on June 8, 1982.
Democratic Marion County Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow narrowly won the election, defeating Republican Franklin County Treasurer Buck Rinehart and Libertarian Thomas V. Brown by two percentage points.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Mary Ellen Withrow, Marion County Treasurer (1977–1983)
- James R. Williams, lawyer
- Kenneth Cox, Ohio State Senator (1977–1982)
- Michael P. Kelly
- Richard L. Wittenberg, former Ohio State House Representative (1973–1974)
- Lee C. Falke, Montgomery County Prosecutor (1965–1992)
- Timothy G. Lemire
Campaign
Mary Ellen Withrow won a crowded seven-way Democratic primary by a razor-thin margin of 0.32 percentage points over lawyer James R. Williams.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mary Ellen Withrow | 165,380 | 20.28% | |
| Democratic | James R. Williams | 162,776 | 19.96% | |
| Democratic | Kenneth Cox | 149,252 | 18.30% | |
| Democratic | Michael P. Kelly | 127,266 | 15.61% | |
| Democratic | Richard L. Wittenberg | 89,356 | 10.96% | |
| Democratic | Lee C. Falke | 87,308 | 10.71% | |
| Democratic | Timothy G. Lemire | 34,138 | 4.19% | |
| Total votes | 815,476 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Buck Rinehart, Franklin County Treasurer (1976–1984)
- Richard H. Harris
- Howard Knight, former Ohio State House Representative (1963–1972)
Campaign
Buck Rinehart easily won the Republican nomination over his two opponents, winning by over 20 percentage points.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Buck Rinehart | 307,639 | 52.57% | |
| Republican | Richard H. Harris | 181,850 | 31.08% | |
| Republican | Howard Knight | 95,668 | 16.35% | |
| Total votes | 585,157 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Mary Ellen Withrow, Marion County Treasurer (1977–1983) (Democratic)
- Buck Rinehart, Franklin County Treasurer (1976–1984) (Republican)
- Thomas V. Brown (Libertarian)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mary Ellen Withrow | 1,541,199 | 48.05% | −15.46% | |
| Republican | Buck Rinehart | 1,470,172 | 45.84% | +9.35% | |
| Libertarian | Thomas V. Brown | 195,957 | 6.11% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 3,207,328 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ "Democratic Primary: June 8, 1982 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Republican Primary: June 8, 1982 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "General Election: November 2, 1982 - Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2025.