Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor

CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM, CLEVELAND, Ohio-Election night 2018 brought few surprises.

Led by women candidates, Democrats reclaimed control of the U.S. House of Representatives as predicted, and the Republicans maintained control of the U.S. Sen, also as predicted.

And U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown of Cleveland, who was favored to win, defeated Republican Congressman Jim Renacci

Ohio Congresswomen Joyce Beatty of Columbus and March Kaptur and Marcia Fudge, whose congressional districts include Cleveland, won easily, though Democrats Betsy Rader and Susan Palmer both lost in their efforts to become first-time congresswomen from Ohio.

In five key battle ground states of Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio and Georgia where the Dems had hoped to sweep gubernatorial races, the Republicans won in three races, the Democrats won one, and another race was too close to call at press time.

Democrat Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, lost to Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis in his bid to become Florida's first Black governor and Stacey Abrams lost to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp in her bid to become Georgia's first Black governor.

Laura Kelly racked up a win for the Democrats in Kansas to become its governor, a win over Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

Republican Governor Scott Walker was narrowly leading in his bid for reelection as Wisconsin governor over Democrat Tony Evers, a race too close to call at press time..

In Ohio, Republican Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine defeated Democrat Richard Cordray in a close election, DeWine a former U.S. senator predicted to narrowly win that race in spite of support for Cordray of former president Obama, who campaigned for Cordray, his former consumer watchdog, in the inner city of Cleveland in September

Aside from the two open seats on the all-White and all- Republican Ohio Supreme Court Ohio Dems lost down the ballot in statewide elections for governor, state treasurer, Ohio attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor, a remake of 2014 and 2010 when Democrat Ted Strickland lost reelection to term-limited GOP governor John Kasich.

Democratic 8th District Court of Appeals Judge Melody Stewart, who is Black, defeated Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary DeGenaro, a Youngstown Republican appointed by Gov Kasich to the unexpired term left  by the resignation last year of Bill O'Neil, and Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Donnelly, also a Democrat, won the other open seat on the all-White and all Republican Ohio Supreme Court over Republican challenger Craig Baldwin.

Stewart is the first Black elected to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Issue 1, a constitutional amendment that provided for sentence reductions for some felony crimes and rehabilitation and more resources for drug addicted Ohioians lost by nearly a two-to-one-margin.

Democratic Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish easily defeated Republican businessman Peter Corrigan relative to his reelection bid to lead Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland and is the state's second largest of 88 counties.

Bipartisan Cuyahoga County councilpersons Dan Brady, who is the the county council president, Nan Baker, Yvonne Conwell, Michael Gallagher, Sunny Simon and Shontel Brown, also chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, were reelected without opposition and former Cleveland Heights Mayor Cheryl Stephens, who was also unopposed, will join them on the 12-member Cuyahoga Council, Stephens ousting appointed member Michael House in the Democratic primary.

Turning to key state legislative races, incumbent Ohio state Sens Sandra Williams of Cleveland and Kenny Yuko retained their seats with state Rep Nickie Antonio of Lakewood easily winning her bid for the Ohio senate in district 25.

State Reps Janine Boyd of Cleveland Heights, Stephanie Howse of Cleveland, Michael Skindel and Kent Smith were reelected, and Juanita Brent and Terrance Upchurch, both of Cleveland and both unopposed, will join Boyd and Howse in Columbus, as will Bride Rose Sweeney, a daughter of former Cleveland City Council president and state representative Martin Sweeney. .

In closely watched judicial races in Cuyahoga County, Democrat Ashley Kilbane and Emily Hagan won open seats on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, as did William McGinty and Deborah M Turner, also Democrats, Turner joining Democratic Judges Shirley Strickland Saffold and Cassanda Collier- Williams, both unopposed, as one of three Blacks on the 34 member general division common pleas bench of Cuyahoga County.

Longtime Common Pleas Judge Kathleen Sutula, a Republican, held on to her seat over Democratic challenger James Satola in a close race,

Wanda Jones, who is Black, was unable to unseat controversial veteran Common Pleas Judge Daniel Gaul.

Juvenile Court Judge Alison Nelson Floyd, who is Black, was reelected without opposition while while her fellow judge, Denise Rini, lost her seat to Jennifer O'Malley.

Democrat Michelle Sheehan, the wife of Common Pleas Judge Brendan Sheehan, walked away with her race for an open seat on the 8th District Court of Appeals, and defeated Raymond Headen, a Black Republican.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.