Political outsider wins confounding Boehner race

MIDDLETOWN - John Boehner lost.

That might sound harsh, considering the former speaker retired from Congress last year and did not endorse any candidates in the race to replace him. But Tuesday's winner was backed by the same congressmen and special interest groups that often made life difficult for Boehner.

Warren Davidson, a businessman from Troy in Miami County, won the Republican primary for Ohio's 8th District.

Former GOP Rep. Dave Hobson recently told Politico it would be a stab in the heart to the GOP establishment if Davidson won.

But Davidson dismissed the narrative surrounding Boehner and himself.

He said Boehner's last years were tough for him, mostly because of President Barack Obama. Not because of Boehner.

"I get the symbolism," said Davidson. "But most people I talked to were just really hungry to have their own congressman."

Mack Mariani, a political science professor at Xavier University, said voters sent a clear message.

"Voters are so angry with politicians," he tweeted. "We are one short step away from putting officeholders on a registry."

Davidson fought off tough competition from state Rep. Tim Derickson and state Sen. Bill Beagle. As of late Tuesday night, Davidson received about 32 percent of the vote. Derickson received about 24 percent and Beagle received about 20 percent, according to unofficial results.

No one else came close.

Derickson said he wasn't sure if his status as a politician hurt him in the race.

"I don’t want to believe that is true," he told The Enquirer after conceding. "Time will tell on that one."

Boehner, for his part, congratulated Davidson in an emailed statement Tuesday night.

The Wall Street Journal, in an article previewing the primary, wrote about Boehner's crumbling legacy as others such as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continue to rise.

David Schnittger, a spokesman for Boehner, took exception to this narrative and The Enquirer's reporting. He said anyone who took on Boehner directly lost badly.

The race was highly unpredictable. In part because of its large field -- 15 Republican candidates -- and in part because there was no true favorite.

Several voters The Enquirer spoke to in West Chester Township knew who they voted for in the presidential primary, but struggled to remember who they voted for in the congressional race or why they voted for him or her.

Nonetheless, the race was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the candidates, who ranged from a state senator to a retired Air Force pilot and even a press operator who lived out of a van as recently as four years ago.

It was also hugely important for residents because the winner in this overwhelmingly Republican district will likely hold onto the seat for years to come.

Boehner represented the district made up of Butler, Darke, Preble, Miami, Clark and part of Mercer counties for almost 25 years.

The race also mirrors the turbulent atmosphere in national politics and shows how it can play out at the local level.

When Trump visited the district on Sunday, he tapped into the pulse of residents here who are angry and fed up with politics as usual.

This trickled into the 8th District race, where several candidates tried to capture Trump's allure. Some denounced Boehner in the process.

Joe Simendinger, of West Chester Township, voted for Trump in the presidential primary.

“I’m fed up with all the crap that’s going on in Washington,” he said. “It’s time for a change and a big change. We don’t want the status quo in there.”

In that respect, Simendinger told The Enquirer he was happy Boehner resigned. To replace him, he voted for what he described as another big change: Davidson.

This was the tenor of the race, shaped by claims of blackmail, whispers about why the leading candidate unexpectedly dropped out and negative campaigning.

Davidson will now compete in a June 7 special election and a general election in November. He will almost assuredly win those races because the 8th District is one of the most Republican districts in the state.

8th District at a glance:

Population: 726,266

Counties: Butler, Clark, Darke, Miami, Preble and part of Mercer

Gender: 50.9 percent female, 49.1 percent male

Race: 89.5 percent white, 5.9 percent black, 1.7 percent Asian, 3.1 percent Hispanic

Median household income: $48,452

High school graduation rate: 88.3 percent

College graduation rate: 21 percent

Source: Almanac of American Politics, 2014