Republicans swept all major offices statewide, including the race for governor.
John Kasich defeated incumbent Ted Strickland in a race that was too close to call until nearlymidnight, 10TV News reported.
Former Rep. Kasich, 58, defeated Strickland according to final, unofficial results.
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Strickland's early lead among absentee voters succumbed to higher vote totals Kasich was scoringespecially in rural counties.
Kasich attacked Strickland over the loss of 400,000 jobs but the governor pointed to nationaleconomic factors and declining unemployment without success.
Kasich fought Strickland's attacks on his record as a managing director at Lehman Brothers,the failed investment bank. He promised to bring a more business-minded approach to the state'seconomy.
The new governor will help lead redistricting in the battleground state.
Portman Defeats Fisher For Ohio Senate Seat
Republican Rob Portman said his election represented a moment of truth and a moment ofopportunity.
Portman said Tuesday in a victory speech that Democrats expanded the fiscal responsibility ofgovernment beyond what people expected and it is time to change direction.
Portman easily won the state's open U.S. Senate seat.
The race was the first to be called by the Associated Press, with Portman being declared thewinner just minutes after polls closed at 7:30 p.m.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher said in a concession speech that he faced a tough politicalenvironment but was not making excuses for the loss, saying the blame falls on the candidate.
DeWine Takes Over As Attorney General
Mike DeWine defeated incumbent Richard Cordray to be the state's next top attorney.
DeWine will return to elected office after defeating Richard Cordray to take over the attorneygeneral post for the next four
years.
Cordray first won the office in a special election in 2008 after predecessor Marc Dannresigned under political pressure after a sexual harassment scandal.
DeWine raised issues such as vacancies and DNA processing at the state crime lab underCordray's term. The Republican had a tough race with Cordray, who had scored key law enforcementand newspaper endorsements.
The race was the last to be officially declared by the AP.
Republicans Sweep Major Statewide Offices
The GOP also grabbed the state secretary of state, auditor and treasurer offices from Democrats,with Josh Mandel defeating Treasurer Kevin Boyce, and Jon Husted taking over the open secretary ofstate seat.
Dave Yost retained the open auditor's office for the GOP, defeating David Pepper.
Husted, Yost and Kasich will sit on the powerful apportionment board, which will draw thestate legislative map.
GOP-Dem Balance Shifts In Ohio U.S. House Races
The first upset in Ohio's U.S. House races Tuesday split the state's congressional seats evenlybetween both parties, with the GOP targeting more seats for a majority.
Mary Jo Kilroy lost the seat she won in 2008. Steve Stivers, who lost narrowly to Kilroy,regained control for a seat that had been in Republican hands since the mid-1990s.
Republican challenger Bob Gibbs defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Zack Space in a closely watchedrace in eastern Ohio.
Gibbs, a state senator, won in a race Republicans targeted as they tried to gain a majorityin the presidential swing state. The win - the first upset of the night - would divide Ohio's 18congressional seats evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
Democrats have outnumbered the GOP 10-8.
The GOP was bolstered by voter anger over the state's weak economy, discontent with the newfederal health care law and unhappiness at the growing national debt.
O'Connor Elected To Lead Ohio Supreme Court
Justice Maureen O'Connor defeated Chief Justice Eric Brown, a Democrat, for the top seat on thehigh court.
O'Connor has been on the court since 2002, while Brown was appointed chief following theApril death of the long-serving Thomas Moyer.
In another Supreme Court race Tuesday, Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger, also a Republican, hasdefeated Democrat Mary Jane Trapp. Trapp is a former Ohio Court of Appeals judge and the 11thDistrict presiding/administrative judge.
O'Connor's win means she will leave open her current seat, to be filled by governor'sappointment.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has predicted a 52 percent turnout. That would be a slightlyreduced showing from the last governor's race and a drop-off from the near 70 percent turnout forthe 2008 presidential election.
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