The red wave that hit Trumbull County in the November election flooded Brookfield Township.
If you look at the seven partisan-contested races on the Brookfield ballot, Republicans got the most township votes in five of them, and an independent who had Republican party support carried a sixth race. That left local Democrats carrying only one race, favoring homeboy Sean O’Brien for state senate – and he ended up losing when the rest of the votes from Trumbull County and other counties in the district were counted.
Presidential race
President Donald Trump, a Republican, did better in the 2020 race among Brookfield residents than he did in 2016, and that is with the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, picking up more votes than Hillary Clinton did in 2016.
Trump’s 2,589 votes in Brookfield, which was 58 percent of votes cast, topped the 2,276 he scored in 2016. Biden received 1,818 votes (Clinton had 1,721 in 2016) and brought in 41 percent of the vote.
Trump won six Brookfield precincts, losing only Precinct D, the district between Warren Sharon Road and Addison Road, and Stateline Road and Yankee Run Creek.
Many political observers say Trump lost the race nationwide, although, as of Nov. 29, he had not conceded that point.
Brookfield turnout
The additional number of votes cast in the presidential election reflected an uptick in voter turnout in 2020. There are 5,946 registered voters and 4,494 of them cast ballots, a 75.6-percent turnout. In 2016, there were 5,987 registered voters and 4,186 ballots cast, a 70-percent turnout.
Red wave
The other Republicans who did well in Brookfield were Christina Hagan, who earned 54 percent of the vote, although she ultimately lost to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan; Mike Loychick, who got 58 percent of the vote to unseat state Rep. Gil Blair; Niki Frenchko, who earned 54 percent of the vote in upsetting Trumbull County Commissioner Daniel Polivka; and Larry Woods, who earned 53 percent of the vote in losing to Lawrence D’Amico for coroner.
The independent candidate, Denny Malloy, brought in 51 percent of the vote against Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa, who retained his seat.
Sean O’Brien garnered 57 percent of Brookfield’s vote in a losing cause against Sandra O’Brien as state senator.
Judge races
Two of the four nonpartisan races for judge followed the red wave. In one of the Ohio Supreme Court races, endorsed Republican Sharon Kennedy received 2,219 votes in Brookfield to endorsed Democrat John O’Donnell’s 1,525 – Kennedy won the statewide vote – and in one of the 11th District Court of Appeals races, endorsed Republican Matt Lynch brought in 1,893 votes to endorsed Democrat Timothy Cannon’s 1,676. Lynch won the race for the seat that covers five counties.
11th District Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice, an endorsed Democrat and resident of Brookfield, earned 2,479 votes to retain her seat over endorsed Republican Sarah Kovoor’s 1,360 votes. Rice won the race for the seat.
Endorsed Democrat Jennifer Brunner broke the red wave by winning six Brookfield precincts and 2,010 votes in the race for Ohio Supreme Court, topping endorsed Republican Judi French’s 1,608 votes. Brunner won the statewide vote.
Precinct D
Precinct D remains the only true-blue Democratic stronghold left in Brookfield, going Republican only once in supporting Kennedy in the Ohio Supreme Court race.
@@@
Here is a breakdown by precinct of how Brookfield Township voters voted in the presidential election:
Precinct Trump Biden 3rd party
A 499 267 9
B 379 236 11
D 217 313 8
E 328 265 13
H 423 219 9
K 489 367 3
L 254 151 5
Totals 2,589 1,818 58
@@@
Here is a precinct breakdown of voter turnout in Brookfield Township:
Precinct Registered voters Voters who cast ballots
A 968 778
B 823 633
D 875 546
E 842 607
H 814 654
K 1,046 864
L 578 412
Totals 5,946 4,494 (75.6 percent)