Republican Dave Yost has defeated Democrat John Patrick Carney to win a second term as Ohio's state auditor.
Yost had been seen as one of the year's most vulnerable incumbents, after winning by a narrow margin four years ago.
He elevated the office's profile during his four-year term through efforts to audit Republican Gov. John Kasich's privatized job-creation office, JobsOhio, and through a statewide investigation of potential attendance tampering at public schools across Ohio.
Carney, a state representative from Columbus, called Yost's enforcement efforts against publicly funded charter schools too weak.
At the same time, he touted his own legislative record as one of bipartisan cooperation and said he would bring that same spirit to the auditor's office.
Yost is a lawyer and a former county prosecutor and journalist.
“I would like to congratulate Auditor Yost, wish him the very best on his next term, and encourage him to stand up for Ohio taxpayers,” said Rep. Carney in his concession speech. “It’s not about those of us running for office. It’s about finding solutions to the problems Ohioans face. I look forward to continuing to work on those issues.”