In the 2005 Democratic primary (part of a special election), Wulsin had finished second to Hackett, receiving 3,800 votes (27%). The district is heavily Republican, as illustrated by the total Democratic primary vote amounting to only about 40% of the total Republican primary vote. Schmidt had the advantages of a Republican majority in the district, her incumbency, and her opponent's political inexperience. Schmidt won in the general election with 115,817 votes (50.58%) to Wulsin's 112,952 votes (49.32%), with two write-in candidates receiving the remaining tenth of a percent. Schmidt won due to strong showings in Clermont and Warren Counties while Wulsin did well in Scioto, Pike, and Hamilton Counties. A photo on Schmidt's web site from the 1993 Columbus Marathon showed Schmidt near the marathon finish line with a time clock showing 3:19:06. Nathan J. Noy, a write-in candidate, contended that the photo was fake, saying Schmidt did not cast a shadow while other runners did, and complained to state election officials. A four-member commission panel ruled on August 24, 2006, that there was enough evidence to look into the complaint. A time clock shows 3:19:06 – 3 hours, 19 minutes, 6 seconds — which would have made her one of the top finishers in her age group (she was 42 at the time of the race). Schmidt's website said that as of August 2006 she has completed 60 marathons. Joseph Braun, Schmidt’s attorney, denied that the photograph was fake. He produced what he said was an official race results book, listing Schmidt as the fifth-place finisher in her age group with a time of 3:19:09 — three seconds slower than the time depicted in the photograph. The time clock reflects when the photo was taken, not her official time, Braun said. A spokeswoman for the Columbus Marathon backed Braun, saying later that Schmidt finished fifth among women age 40 to 44 and 930th overall. On September 7, 2006, a unanimous Ohio Elections Commission tossed out the complaint. Commission members, responding to Noy's lack of evidence and failure to present a single witness, asked Schmidt's Cincinnati attorney, Joseph J. Braun, to prepare a motion detailing his legal fees and other costs. They said they'd consider sanctioning Noy at a future hearing, possibly ordering him to pay all legal fees and costs as well as an unspecified fine.