U.S. House, Ohio - 8th District
Southwest -- Hamilton, most of Middletown, part of Dayton
Race Forecast: Safe Republican
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. John A. Boehner, R
- First Elected: 1990 (9th term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (63.81%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Safe Republican
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Hugging the state’s western border, the 8th is fertile GOP ground that is steered economically and politically by Butler County, home to the district’s two largest cities, Hamilton and Middletown. The district’s solid Republican tilt is anchored in Butler, which has long voted Republican, and its expanding suburbs have escalated the rightward trend — the county is known for electing some of Ohio’s more conservative state and congressional legislators.
Butler and Miami counties have propelled the district’s rapid growth through residential construction and commercial development. West Chester Township, in Butler, is one of the state’s fastest-growing suburbs, and many residents commute to Cincinnati or Dayton. The 8th’s strong manufacturing base, grounded in the steel industry, and a healthy agricultural sector have helped keep the district’s economy strong. The 8th also encompasses a slice of Montgomery County, including parts of northeast Dayton near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is in the 3rd and 7th districts.
About half of the 8th’s residents live outside Butler in a string of fertile Corn Belt counties — Mercer (shared with the 5th), Darke and Preble. Corn and soybeans are the major cash crops here, and poultry and livestock also are moneymakers. All three counties are among the most productive in the state, and Darke ranks first in Ohio in total agricultural productivity. The district is tops in the state in raising turkeys.
George W. Bush defeated John Kerry in Butler by more than 30 percentage points in the 2004 presidential election. Mercer and Darke backed Bush with 75 percent and 70 percent of the vote, respectively, in 2004. Miami County, the district’s second-most-populous, gave Bush 66 percent in 2004. Exceptions to the GOP dominance are Oxford — which includes Miami University and backed Kerry in 2004 — and the urban portion of Montgomery in the 8th.
Major Industry
Agriculture, manufacturing, higher education
Cities
Hamilton (pt.), 60,675; Middletown (pt.), 49,574; Fairfield, 42,097
Notable
The Voice of America Park and VOA Museum, a planned center to document the radio service’s history, is in West Chester Township.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 630,730
- Under 18: 26%
- Over 65: 12%
- Married: 57.9%
- Non-Hispanic White: 92%
- Black: 4%
- Hispanic: 1%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 2.2%
- Language other than English: 4.2%
- Median Household Income: 43,753
- Owner Occupied Housing: 71%
- Income above $200k: 1.4
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 56.0%
- Blue Collar: 30.4%
- Services: 13.6%
- Bachelor's Degree: 19%
- Graduate Education: 6.4%
- Civilian Veterans: 64,431
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | John Boehner (R) | 195,232 | 68.1% |
| Nicholas Von Stein (D) | 91,332 | 31.9% | ||
| 2006 | general | John Boehner (R) | 136,863 | 63.8% |
| Mort Meier (D) | 77,640 | 36.2% | ||
| 2004 | general | John Boehner (R) | 201,675 | 69% |
| Jeff Hardenbrook (D) | 90,574 | 31% | ||
| 2002 | general | John Boehner (R) | 119,947 | 70.8% |
| Jeff Hardenbrook (D) | 49,444 | 29.2% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 35% | George W. Bush: 64% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 37% | George W. Bush: 63% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HARDENBROOK, JEFF (D) | December 31, 2007 | $7,764.00 | $7,921.00 | ||||
| BOEHNER, JOHN A (R) | November 24, 2008 | $5,114,680.00 | $5,124,803.00 | $19,143.00 | $1,618,722.00 | $379,471.00 | |
| MEIER, MORTON WARNOCK (D) | February 8, 2007 | $3,261.00 | $3,261.00 | $3,261.00 | |||
| VON STEIN, NICHOLAS ADAM (D) | November 24, 2008 | $16,708.00 | $15,425.00 | $5,489.00 | $1,281.00 | ||
