The 1982 United States Senate election in Ohio took place on November 2, 1982. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Republican State Senator Paul Pfeifer. Along with the gubernatorial election that same year, this election is the last time Butler County voted Democratic in a statewide election.
Most polls showed U.S. Representative John Ashbrook winning the primary with a plurality, but he died on April 24 from a gastric hemorrhage.
Ashbrook supporter and State Senator Bill Ress launched a write-in campaign with the endorsement of Jean Spencer Ashbrook, the Representative's widow.