Republican incumbent Jon Husted has won the race for Ohio Secretary of State.

Husted had more that 60 percent of the vote in early returns, according to the Secretary of State’s website, and will be re-elected to serve another four years.

“Republicans are going to have a great night,” he said during his victory speech, according to the Toledo Blade on Tuesday. “But that comes with great responsibility to lead, to listen, and to serve. I promise over the next four years that that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

His opponent, Democratic State Sen. Nina Turner had almost 35 percent of the vote and Libertarian Party candidate Kevin Knedler had close to 5 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results posted on the Secretary of State website.

“I have spent my career fighting to empower those who do not have a voice, and I will continue to do that despite the results of this election,” Turner said in a statement issued following the announcement of the results. “Our state is great, but it can be greater and I am committed to helping realize that potential.”

Ohio Secretary of State Jon A. Husted’s victory speech from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

Turner also thanked her network of volunteers and supporters, and said she will continue to “push for progress.”

Knedler said he had higher expectations, as he noted a decline in voting.

“We were shooting for a six or seven percent,” he said. “If we had a better voter turnout, maybe that’s what might have happened.”

Husted, who became secretary of state in 2011, is a former Ohio House speaker and state senator from the Dayton area. 

In 2000, Husted was elected to public office as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives before being elected as Speaker of the Ohio House.

He helped lead the passage of the Ed Choice Scholarship — a school choice option for children trapped in failing schools — and the creation of the Choose Ohio First Scholarship to encourage Ohio students studying in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. His goals include enhancing “economic growth and job creation using technology and customer service practices that save businesses time and money,” according to his official website profile.

Husted visited Kent State on Sept. 5 to discuss the importance of democracy and the Military Ready-to-Vote program with the Kent State College Republicans.

“Even when you get frustrated with things and even when it doesn’t feel like you’re having much of an impact, that’s the time to work harder — not the time to quit,” Husted said in an article published in the The Kent Stater on  Sept. 6. “Because every generation of Americans has had to face a difficult time in their lives — either economically or globally or politically — because that’s what self-governance is about.”

Contact Mariam Makatsaria at [email protected].