Independent candidate for the 15th Congressional District Don Eckhart appears to have won about 4 percent of the vote by running on a conservative social and economic platform, which was seen by some as a potential threat to Republican candidate Steve Stivers.
 
According to unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections, which includes totals from Union and Madison counties, Stivers won 49 percent, Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) received about 42 percent, Eckhart 4 percent, and libertarian Mark Noble almost 5 percent.
 
Eckhart said he won fewer votes than he expected but ran to be the pro-life alternative to Stivers after they supported U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Columbus) in 2006. Pryce favors abortion rights.       
 
“My aim was to be an alternative for pro-life voters that went for both Deborah Pryce and Steve Stivers,” Eckhart said. “If the Republicans had put in a pro-life candidate...I probably would not have run then.”
 
Eckhart said he wishes Stivers well, but was not running against him specifically.
 
“The race was never between me and an individual,” Eckhart said.
 
Future campaigns are unlikely, Eckhart said, but he wouldn’t rule them out.