WOSU: Ohio fails to pick president for first time since 1960

Political scientist David Niven says Ohio no longer mirrors the overall national vote.

Since 1960 Ohio had been a bellwether for predicting presidential election outcomes, but that’s no longer the case, UC political scientist David Niven tells WOSU radio in a post-election interview.

In the 2020 election Ohio went for Trump, but Biden is the projected winner.

“Not only shouldn’t we have been a toss-up, we weren’t anywhere close to being one," Niven says. "And the future battle for the presidencies is highly unlikely to run through Ohio."  

Along with Trump's wins in 2016 and 2020, Ohio has seen Republicans sweep its statewide executive races – governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor – twice since 2010.

Listen to the entire interview on WOSU.

Featured image at top of voting sticker. Photo/Phillip Goldsberry/Unsplash.

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