State Rep. Thaddeus Claggett, a lifelong Licking County resident and incumbent in House District 68, will remain in his seat for a second term, according to preliminary results from the Licking County Board of Elections.
Claggett earned 59.1% of the vote, while his opponent, Democrat Mike Smith, earned 40.9%. Claggett and Smith were not immediately available for comment after the election results were released.
Claggett, a Republican, told The Reporting Project in October that he plans to prioritize growth and development in his second term, keeping a close eye on the Intel development.
“Growth is good,” Claggett said, “but we have to manage that growth and consider how it will impact people’s trade and how to deal with it. The last thing we want is to make people’s lives more difficult. We need to focus on the processing and zoning of said growth.”
Read more: Incumbent Thad Claggett to push growth management legislation if reelected in State District 68
Claggett’s opponent in the race, Democrat Michael Smith, is a lifelong union bricklayer and was born and raised in Sandusky. His passion lies in union work and fair labor practices, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and supporting the rights of workers.
Read more: Mike Smith prioritizes workers’ rights in bid for Ohio House District 68
Claggett reported dozens of monetary donations leading into the November election, including $5,000 from Friends of (Pat) Tiberi, $2,000 from the Realtors Political Action Committee of Ohio, and $1,000 from the Associated Builders and Contractors organization, according to filings from the Secretary of State’s office. No financial reports could be found for Smith.
Selah Griffin and Brin Glass write for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.