1996Final results
1996 election for Ohio's 2nd District
U.S. House · Ohio
Rob Portman (R) won with 72.0% of the vote, defeating Thomas R. Chandler (D) by 49.4 points.
Rob PortmanRepublican · winner
72.0%186,853
Thomas R. ChandlerDemocrat
22.6%58,715
Kathleen M. McKnightNatural Law
5.4%13,905
259,473 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1996
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
No DemocratRob Portman
—
Raised by the campaign
$432.1K
—
Spent by the campaign
$256.5K
—
Cash on hand
$339.5K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996