Tuesday night delivered close to a clean sweep of statewide offices for Republicans in Ohio. When governor-elect Mike DeWine takes office in 2019, he'll do so alongside a Republican attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer.
The only Democrat to score a major win on the state level was incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, who fended off a challenge from Republican Jim Renacci to retain his seat.
Given the deep-red flush Columbus is about to sport, is Ohio still a swing state?
"The assertion of Ohio's relevance in the national stage is getting a little thin right now," admitted University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven.
That doesn't mean Democrats should count themselves out, he added. As Brown and newly elected Hamilton County commissioner Stephanie Dumas demonstrated, Ohio seats remain up-for-grabs for the correct candidate regardless of party.
It just means they will likely have to be more aggressive, work harder and reach more people in order to present Republicans with a serious challenge at the state level.
"What we've seen repeatedly is, if Democrats don't dominate the conversation, the base of Ohio is Republican," he said. "All other things equal, Republicans are going to win unless Democrats run a better race."
