Mathews defeats Cross

FINDLAY — Ty Mathews was coasting to victory over incumbent Jon Cross on Tuesday in the heated contest for the Republican nomination to represent the 83rd District in the Ohio House of Representatives. With nearly 83% of precincts reporting late Tuesday night, Mathews had garnered 11,146 votes, or 67%, to 5,372 votes for Cross. Results from the Hancock, Hardin and Logan County elections boards late Tuesday were unofficial and included absentee voting. Mathews will face Democrat Sheila Coressel in the November general election. Coressel was unopposed in seeking her party's nomination on Tuesday. Mathews, 29, pulled off a rare feat in beating an incumbent in a primary race for a multi-county legislative seat. It was his first bid for elective office and he learned a lot. "The surprise to me was the amount of misinformation that was pushed out by (Cross supporters)," Mathews said. "The Ohio House Republican Alliance went in and actually edited my words and started running ads on things I did not even say. "I was expecting this to get tough and rough, but I wasn't expecting to go to that extent where things (were) completely fabricated. That was a big surprise to me," he said. "I was ready for thick and thin, but I was not expecting it to be to that extent." In the campaign, Mathews decried Cross as having betrayed Republicans in cutting a deal with Democrats to elect a "moderate" Republican speaker of the Ohio House. As part of the deal, the new House speaker, Jason Stephens, agreed to kill school choice legislation and other Republican priorities, Mathews said. But Mathews said his challenge to Cross was more about integrity and character than policy differences. After the heated campaign, Cross sought to be gracious Tuesday night. "We called Ty tonight to wish him congratulations," Cross said. "We wish him the best. We want the best for our district. We will make sure he goes on to win in November and make for a great transition. "With the remaining nine months I have in the term, I'm going to continue to do all I can for the people of the 83rd District, continue to work hard," he said.