2012 Ohio Election Guide - Gripelements.com

OHIO House RACES2012The Ohio House ofRepresentatives is comprised of99 members who serve two-year terms.Under the Ohio Constitution’s term limitprovision, House members are limitedto four consecutive two-year terms.Every even-numbered year, all the seatsare up for re-election.Since 1967, legislative districts havebeen determined on the basis ofpopulation. Every 10 years, followingthe federal census, the total populationof the state is divided by 99 to arrive atthe target population for each district.For the current General Assembly,based upon the 2010 census, thereare within 5% of 116,530 residentsper House district. The resulting newHouse districts are in effect for the firsttime in an election this year.State House districts must be nestedwithin state Senate districts, so thateach Senate district is made up ofthree contiguous House districts.Republicans currently hold a 59–40majority over Democrats in the House.The Democrats gained the Housein 2008, overturning a Republicanmajority that dated to January 1995;however, Republicans regained theirmajority in 2010.2012 OHIO ELECTION GUIDE — 83