When it became apparent that defeat was inevitable, the Democratic candidate for governor conceded to his opponent.

At 10 p.m., Tim Hagan and running mate Charleta Tavares admitted defeat in the gubernatorial race from the Democratic headquarters in Cleveland.

The Hagan-Tavares team received only 38 percent of the votes, compared with incumbent Gov. Bob Taft, who received 58 percent.

“I wished Bob and Hope Taft the best of luck,” Hagan said.

Hagan encouraged fellow Democrats to keep fighting for rights for senior citizens, minorities, the working class and gays and lesbians.

“To those voices that are not being heard in Washington and in Columbus, our cause is not just victory at the polls, our cause is to speak out and fight for economic and social justice,” Hagan said.

A packed house at the Democratic headquarters in Columbus was disappointed with the loss, but hopeful for the future.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we will be back,” Tavares said. “There’s no stopping Democrats.”

Hagan maintained a positive attitude through the defeat.

“We fought the good fight, we stayed the course, we kept the faith,” Hagan said. “The battle is lost for the moment, but we shall live to fight another day.”

A limited budget, paired with low voter turnout were cited as reasons for the loss.

“Turnout was bad and overall Democrats did very poorly,” said Pat Byrne, candidate for state representative.

Hagan served as Cuyahoga County Commissioner for 16 years.

He pushed for higher education and Ohio’s economy as his priorities throughout his campaign.

He included these issues as part of “The Hagan Plan,” which was a 180-day plan to manage the state’s current fiscal crisis and a four year vision for the Five Principles for Ohio. Ohio currently has a structural deficit ranging from $2.68- $3.48 billion per year.

The principles included forming an Education Cabinet, assisting Ohio universities and companies in joint research projects and increasing the retention rates of college graduates. Ohio ranks 48th in the number of college graduates.

Hagan also committed to placing a freeze on college tuition, generating money for higher education through race tracks and gambling and closing loopholes in tax laws.