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| United States presidential elections in Ohio, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Election name | 2020 United States presidential election in Ohio |
| Country | Ohio |
| Type | presidential |
| Previous election | 2016 United States presidential election in Ohio |
| Previous year | 2016 |
| Next election | 2024 United States presidential election in Ohio |
| Next year | 2024 |
| Election date | November 3, 2020 |
| Turnout | 72.0% (estimate) |
| Nominee1 | Donald Trump |
| Party1 | Republican Party |
| Home state1 | Florida |
| Running mate1 | Mike Pence |
| Electoral vote1 | 18 |
| Popular vote1 | 3,154,834 |
| Percentage1 | 53.27% |
| Nominee2 | Joe Biden |
| Party2 | Democratic Party |
| Home state2 | Delaware |
| Running mate2 | Kamala Harris |
| Popular vote2 | 2,679,165 |
| Percentage2 | 45.26% |
United States presidential elections in Ohio, 2020
Ohio, as a Midwestern battleground state anchored by Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, played a prominent role in the 2020 presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The contest reflected competing appeals to voters in Mahoning County, Cuyahoga County, and rural counties across the Great Lakes region, with outcomes shaped by shifts in white working-class precincts, suburban counties, and absentee voting trends. Results awarded all 18 of Ohio's electoral votes to Trump, continuing a trend in the state's voting patterns since the 2016 election.
Ohio’s electoral history features pivotal moments linked to figures such as William McKinley, Ulysses S. Grant, and William Howard Taft and institutions like the Ohio Republican Party and Ohio Democratic Party. In the 2016 election, Donald Trump carried Ohio over Hillary Clinton, reversing earlier Democratic wins by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012; this set expectations for 2020 framed by demographic changes in counties such as Trumbull County and Lucas County. Nationally consequential events preceding 2020 included the COVID-19 pandemic, the George Floyd protests, and policy debates over the Affordable Care Act, each influencing campaign strategies in Ohio's metropolitan areas and manufacturing hubs along the Rust Belt corridor.
The major nominees on the Ohio ballot were incumbent President Donald Trump with Vice President Mike Pence, and former Vice President Joe Biden with Senator Kamala Harris. Third-party and independent contenders included Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party and Howie Hawkins of the Green Party. Campaign operations for Trump emphasized endorsements from figures like Jim Jordan and outreach through rallies in cities such as Toledo, while Biden’s campaign enlisted surrogates including Sherrod Brown and Tim Ryan and focused organizing in suburbs of Cleveland and Akron. Prominent organizations active in Ohio included Americans for Prosperity, Priorities USA Action, and ActBlue. Debates and forums hosted by groups like the League of Women Voters and media outlets in Cleveland Clinic market areas were curtailed or shifted online due to public-health guidance associated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
Ohio administered voting through a combination of in-person early voting, absentee ballots, and Election Day polling places run by county boards of elections such as those in Franklin County and Hamilton County. Legislative actions by the Ohio General Assembly affected procedures for absentee ballot requests and drop boxes, while the Ohio Secretary of State oversaw certification and ballot access rules. Turnout was influenced by mail-ballot requests from voters associated with organizations like League of Women Voters and mobilization by labor unions including the United Auto Workers in factory towns. Legal and administrative scrutiny involved courts such as the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in disputes over deadlines and ballot-counting protocols.
On November 3, 2020, official tallies certified by county boards gave Donald Trump a statewide plurality over Joe Biden, carrying 53.27% to 45.26% and securing all 18 electoral votes. Trump won key exurban and rural counties, with margins in places like Mahoning County and Trumbull County reflecting continued strength among swing voters in the Appalachian portions of the state. Biden performed strongly in urban centers—Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), Franklin County (Columbus), and Hamilton County (Cincinnati)—but those performances were insufficient to overcome Republican margins in smaller counties and many suburban jurisdictions.
Post-election analysis by outlets and analysts including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and academic groups at Ohio State University pointed to persistent realignment of the white working class toward Republicans, losses among rural voters for Democrats, and a pattern of suburban voters that remained more mixed than in other battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan. Commentators cited the influence of industry concerns tied to steel and automotive industry employment in the Mahoning Valley and Youngstown area, as well as cultural appeals articulated by Trump during the campaign. The Biden campaign and allied organizations continued organizing in Ohio ahead of the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio and the 2024 cycle, while Republican officials emphasized consolidation of gains at county commission and state legislative levels.
Trump carried a majority of Ohio's 88 counties, while Biden won the most populous counties including Cuyahoga County, Franklin County, and Hamilton County. Congressional district tabulations mirrored county patterns: Trump won 12 of Ohio’s 16 United States House of Representatives districts, aligning with Republican holds in districts represented by members such as Brad Wenstrup and Jim Jordan, while Biden won districts represented by Democrats like Shontel Brown and Marcy Kaptur. Geographic divides highlighted urban-rural splits across regions including the Miami Valley, Northeast Ohio, and Southeast Ohio coal country, and pointed toward areas targeted by both parties for future electoral investing.
Category:2020 United States presidential election by state Category:Politics of Ohio