Treasurer of State of Ohio
November 3, 1998 · general election · 2 candidates with a page
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by surname. Ohio rotates the order candidates appear in by precinct, so no order on this page is the order on a ballot.
- Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, 1988-1992, before his first election as county prosecutor.
- B.A. and J.D., University of Cincinnati.
- Board member, University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees, the Ohio Organized Crime Commission, and the Southern Ohio Leukemia Foundation.
8 of 11 sections researched · 14 sources
- Elected to Summit County Council (At-Large) in 2015; chairs its Finance Committee.
- Served three and a half years in the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged.
- Former president of the Ohio Treasurer's Association; recipient of six National Association of Counties awards.
6 of 11 sections researched · 5 sources
Joe Deters
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
John A. Donofrio
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | not researched |
| interests | not researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
The race in pictures
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
A note on our coverage
Read before the columns: where one candidate has more entries than another, this says which of the two reasons it is.
Where they stand: Joe Deters has 3 entries and John A. Donofrio has 1 entry. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Joe Deters's record in office has 4 entries and John A. Donofrio's has 1. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Jump to a candidate
- Joe Deters: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
- John A. Donofrio: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
Where they stand
Their own words, by issue, with the date, the venue and the link. A paraphrase is marked as one.
Delinquent property tax collection
Joe Deters
None found in the records checked
John A. Donofrio
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Pledged, if elected, to collect $100 million in delinquent property taxes for Ohio's schools, building on Ohio House Bill 371 (1997), which let county treasurers sell tax certificate liens on delinquent properties to private buyers at public auction; Deters' campaign publicly questioned whether the state treasurer had constitutional authority to do this at all.
Source: clipfile.org
Government technology
Joe Deters
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Campaigned on continuing to digitize the Treasurer's office and moving the state toward electronic receipt and distribution of funds; the office received 23 national awards for innovation and technology over his 1999-2005 tenure.
Source: citybeat.com
John A. Donofrio
None found in the records checked
Public-fund management priorities
Joe Deters
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
In statements to the League of Women Voters' 'Smart Voter' project, listed three top priorities: ensuring the safety of public monies, diversification of the state's debt portfolio, and strengthening continuing financial-education requirements for public money managers; key endorsements listed were the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Certified Public Accountants, and Family First.
Source: web.archive.org
John A. Donofrio
None found in the records checked
State investment management
Joe Deters
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Ran on prudent, conservative management of the state's cash, pointing to a claim that Ohio incurred no investment losses during his tenure and generated roughly $1 billion in annual investment returns for the state by 2002.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
John A. Donofrio
None found in the records checked
What they have said, checked
Newest first. Each check is shown in the checker's own rating word, with their name, the date and the link.
Joe Deters
Not yet researched
John A. Donofrio
Not yet researched
Record in office
Dated actions. Any evaluation of an action is printed with the name of whoever made it and the link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Person | Date | Kind | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deters (R) | 1992 | office | Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney |
| Deters (R) | 1999-01-11 | office | Treasurer of Ohio |
| Deters (R) | 1994 | vote | 1994 (vote): As Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney, his office tried and convicted Elwood Jones (sentenced to death in 1996) for the 1994 murder of Rho |
| Deters (R) | 1998-10 | action | 1998-10 (action): Suspended active campaigning for about a week during the campaign's final month to personally prosecute serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin i |
| Deters (R) | 1999 | action | 1999 (action): As Treasurer, oversaw more than $11 billion in state assets annually; the office received 23 national awards for innovation and technology o |
| Deters (R) | 2002 | statement | 2002 (statement): At least one analysis cited by Common Cause Ohio found Ohio's roughly $6.9 billion investment portfolio underperformed comparable states' po |
| Donofrio (D) | 1980 | office | Summit County Treasurer |
| Donofrio (D) | 1997 | action | 1997 (action): As Summit County Treasurer, was a driving force behind Ohio House Bill 371 (1997), letting county treasurers sell tax certificate liens on d |
Joe Deters
-
2002 · statement
At least one analysis cited by Common Cause Ohio found Ohio's roughly $6.9 billion investment portfolio underperformed comparable states' portfolios in 2002, in tension with the campaign's 'prudent investment' framing.
Source: commoncause.org
-
1999 · action
As Treasurer, oversaw more than $11 billion in state assets annually; the office received 23 national awards for innovation and technology over his tenure.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
-
October 1998 · action
Suspended active campaigning for about a week during the campaign's final month to personally prosecute serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin in Hamilton County, saying 'He's the incarnation of evil. I'm going to keep my promise.'
Source: clipfile.org
-
1994 · vote
As Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney, his office tried and convicted Elwood Jones (sentenced to death in 1996) for the 1994 murder of Rhoda Nathan; in December 2022 a Hamilton County judge overturned the conviction, finding more than 4,000 pages of documents had been withheld from the defense, and the case was dismissed by the county's current prosecutor in December 2025.
Source: deathpenaltyinfo.org
John A. Donofrio
-
1997 · action
As Summit County Treasurer, was a driving force behind Ohio House Bill 371 (1997), letting county treasurers sell tax certificate liens on delinquent properties at public auction; Summit County ran the first such sale under the law in October 1998. His delinquent-tax-collection efforts brought in a reported 'over $80 million' over his full tenure, and he received six National Association of Counties awards, including for the 'Donofrio Linked Deposit Program.'
Source: council.summitoh.net
Money
Totals and donors exactly as filed with the FEC or the Ohio Secretary of State, each figure with its filing link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Joe Deters
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
None found in the records checked
Top donors, as filed
None found in the records checked
Outside spending
None found in the records checked
In-state share
Not yet researched
John A. Donofrio
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
Not yet researched
Top donors, as filed
Not yet researched
Outside spending
Not yet researched
In-state share
Not yet researched
The result
Joe Deters · certified 1998-11-03
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Deters | 1,719,143 | 53.9% |
| John A. Donofrio | 1,472,940 | 46.1% |
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: 1998 Ohio State Treasurer election · Joe Deters · 2002 Ohio State Treasurer election · 2024 Ohio elections · 2024 United States presidential election in Ohio
- 1998 Ohio State Treasurer election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Joe Deters · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- 2002 Ohio State Treasurer election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- Deters' Questionable Fund-Raising Reveals Loopholes in Ohio Campaign Finance Laws · Cincinnati CityBeat · accessed 2026-09-21
- A Brief History of Ohio Corruption · Common Cause Ohio · accessed 2026-09-21
- Voter Information for Joseph T. Deters -- priorities and endorsements · Smart Voter, via Wayback Machine · accessed 2026-09-21
- U.S. treasurer backs Democrat Donofrio for her former state post · Clipfile.org · accessed 2026-09-21
- Ohio Prosecutors Dismiss Case Against Elwood Jones Nearly 30 Years After Wrongful Conviction · Death Penalty Information Center · accessed 2026-09-21
- Candidate puts campaigning on hold to do job · Clipfile.org · accessed 2026-09-21
- https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/judicial-system/supreme-court-of-ohio/justices-overview/joseph-deters/
- 2024 Ohio elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-24
- 2024 United States presidential election in Ohio · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-24
- Ohio boards of elections still review and audit results after their certification · The Statehouse News Bureau · 2024-12-10 · accessed 2026-09-24
- LaRose certifies official 2024 general election results · The Highland County Press · 2024-12-03 · accessed 2026-09-24
- John Donofrio, Council Member AT-LARGE · Summit County, Ohio Council · accessed 2026-09-21
- Donofrio ads aim at funny bone; Candidate's name often mangled · Toledo Blade, via Clipfile.org · 1998-10-20 · accessed 2026-09-21
Quick answers
When was the 1998 Treasurer of State of Ohio election?
The election for Treasurer of State of Ohio was held on November 3, 1998.
Who ran for Treasurer of State of Ohio in 1998?
On the ballot for Treasurer of State of Ohio, in surname order: Joe Deters (Republican), John A. Donofrio (Democratic).
Who won the 1998 Treasurer of State of Ohio election?
Joe Deters won the election for Treasurer of State of Ohio. Results as certified: Joe Deters 53.9%, John A. Donofrio 46.1%.
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Treasurer of State of Ohio, 1998", https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/1998/treasurer/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31