Who is running in Hamilton County, Ohio in 2026
- County Commissioner
- Meeka Owens and Jonathan Pearson
- U.S. Senator (special election)
- Sherrod Brown, Jon Husted, Bill Redpath and Greg Levy
- Governor / Lieutenant Governor
- Amy Acton / David Pepper, Vivek Ramaswamy / Rob McColley and Don Kissick / James L. Mills
- Attorney General
- John J. Kulewicz and Keith Faber
- Secretary of State
- Allison Russo, Robert Sprague and Tom Pruss
- Auditor of State
- Annette Blackwell and Frank LaRose
- Treasurer of State
- Seth Walsh and Jay Edwards
- Ohio Supreme Court (term starting Jan. 1, 2027)
- Marilyn Zayas and Daniel R. Hawkins
- Ohio Supreme Court (term starting Jan. 2, 2027)
- Jennifer Brunner and Colleen O'Donnell
- U.S. Representative, District 1
- Greg Landsman, Eric Conroy and Nathan Weise
- U.S. Representative, District 8
- Vanessa Enoch and Warren Davidson
- State Senate, District 7
- Cara Jacob and Zac Haines
- State Senate, District 9
- Catherine Ingram and Linda D. Matthews
- Ohio House District 26
- Ashley Bryant Bailey and Tom Brinkman
- Ohio House District 27
- Rachel Baker and Nancy Reed Aichholz
- Ohio House District 28
- Karen Brownlee and Jill Cole
- Ohio House District 29
- Jonathan R. Bradner and Cindy Abrams
- Ohio House District 30
- Caleb Price and Mike Odioso
Hamilton County
Ohio county offices are partisan. Cincinnati's mayor and council, and most township, village and school board seats, are elected in odd years, so none are on this ballot.
County Commissioner
Vote for oneCommissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas lost the May 5 Democratic primary to Owens. Carrie Davis is running as a write-in.
Meeka Owens
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratCo-founded the Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative in 2020 and pushed to expand the city's eviction legal aid program. Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio ACT, the OEC Action Fund and the county Democratic Party.
Sources: WVXU, CityBeat, WVXU, OEC Action Fund
Unopposed county office
No contestCounty Auditor (Jessica Miranda, Democrat).
Judges
Not profiledContested Court of Common Pleas seats, General Division: Donte Johnson (D) vs. Katie Casch (R); Christian Jenkins (D) vs. Betsy Sundermann (R); Jennifer Branch (D) vs. Roger Bouchard (R); Alan Triggs (D) vs. Dennis Mahoney (R); Latoya Maley (D) vs. Robert Goering (R); Sarah Henry (D) vs. Chris McDowell (R) and Manisha Kotian (D) vs. Leah Dinkelacker (R) for unexpired terms. Probate Division: Elizabeth Tye (D) vs. Ralph Winkler (R). Juvenile Division: Kari Bloom (D) vs. Susan Luken (R). Unopposed: Ginger Bock for the 1st District Court of Appeals, and Common Pleas Judges Chris Wagner, Wende Cross and Alison Hatheway (General), Nicole Sanders (Drug Court) and Tiffany Evans (Domestic Relations), all Democrats. Party is from the primaries. We haven't profiled judges yet.
State and federal
Most of Hamilton County, including Cincinnati, is in the 1st Congressional District; part is in the 8th. The county is split between state Senate Districts 7 and 9 and among Ohio House Districts 24 to 30. Check your sample ballot to see which are yours.
U.S. Senator (special election)
Vote for oneFills the rest of JD Vance's term, through January 2029. Husted was appointed to the seat in January 2025. Stephen Faris, Anthony Holliman and Timothy Telymonde are registered write-in candidates.
Sherrod Brown
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratJon Husted
Not good people RepublicanEndorsed by Donald Trump, who rallied for him in Vandalia on October 3, and his first ad opens and closes on that endorsement. In 2017 FirstEnergy gave $1 million earmarked "Husted campaign" to a nonprofit that doesn't disclose donors; his spokesperson said the campaign never received it.
Sources: Signal Ohio, WKRC, Wikipedia
Bill Redpath
Not enough info LibertarianA longtime Libertarian Party activist who twice chaired its national committee and has run for governor, Senate and House in Virginia. His top priorities are ending tariffs and cutting federal spending, including corporate welfare and farm subsidies.
Sources: The Ballot Brief, Wikipedia
Greg Levy
Not enough info IndependentA self-described socialist running on a $$30 minimum wage who takes no corporate or PAC money. In October a new super PAC that used a printer tied to Republican and MAGA Inc.-linked consultants spent nearly $$400,000 on mailers promoting him; his campaign called them "a form of digital blackface."
Sources: Spectrum News, Wikipedia
Governor / Lieutenant Governor
Vote for oneOpen seat: Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited. Governor and lieutenant governor are elected together as a ticket. Four write-in tickets are also registered: Timothy Grady / Andrea Neutzling, Renea Turner / Jalen Turner, Ron Ula / Michael C. Lehnerd, and Heather Hill / Patrick Manley.
Amy Acton / David Pepper
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratLed the state's early COVID-19 response under DeWine, and proposes a child tax credit of up to $1,000 for families earning up to $85,000. Endorsed by the Ohio Nurses Association and the state firefighters' union; Pepper wrote "Laboratories of Autocracy" about statehouse corruption.
Sources: Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, Acton campaign, Leadership Now
Vivek Ramaswamy / Rob McColley
Not good people RepublicanEndorsed by Donald Trump and the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, and calls himself an American nationalist. In August 2026 a federal judge let a whistleblower suit go forward that says he pressured an executive at Strive Asset Management to break securities law.
Sources: Wikipedia, Ohio GOP, Ballotpedia
Don Kissick / James L. Mills
Not enough info LibertarianWants to abolish property taxes on owner-occupied homes and family farms, saying Ohio doesn't have a revenue problem. Mills says immigration enforcement should be civil, not militarized, with a clear path to citizenship.
Sources: Statehouse News Bureau, Village Press, Lima News / Your Hometown Stations
Attorney General
Vote for oneOpen seat. Dave Yost resigned in June 2026, and Gov. DeWine appointed Andy Wilson to serve out the term; Wilson is not on the ballot.
John J. Kulewicz
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratKeith Faber
Compromised RepublicanEndorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, its first Republican pick for this office in 20 years, and by the Club for Growth PAC. On the redistricting commission he opposed the 2024 amendment to hand map-drawing to an independent citizens commission.
Sources: Signal Ohio, Wikipedia
Secretary of State
Vote for oneOpen seat: Frank LaRose is term-limited and running for auditor. The secretary of state runs Ohio elections.
Allison Russo
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratFought the August 2023 Issue 1, which would have made it harder for citizens to amend the constitution, and called LaRose's handover of private voter data to the Trump Justice Department a betrayal. Some voting-rights advocates fault her 2023 vote for Republican-backed legislative maps, which she calls "the best of two bad options."
Sources: Ohio Democratic County Chairs, WVXU, Wikipedia
Robert Sprague
Compromised RepublicanWants to eliminate ballot drop boxes, which his campaign calls "vulnerable to ballot harvesting and fraud," and to add up-front citizenship checks, though noncitizen voting is already illegal and rare. Endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor.
Sources: Democracy Docket, Wikipedia
Tom Pruss
Not enough info LibertarianRunning on ballot access for smaller parties, saying the office "has been used as a gatekeeper for the two major parties." Has run before for Toledo school board, Lucas County clerk of courts and Congress.
Sources: Elections Simplified, Ballotpedia
Auditor of State
Vote for oneOpen seat: Keith Faber is running for attorney general.
Annette Blackwell
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratThe city's first woman and first Black mayor, she took office with Maple Heights in state fiscal emergency and wrote its five-year turnaround plan. Before that she worked on property taxes at KeyBank, Deloitte and Ryan LLC.
Sources: City of Maple Heights, Erie County Democrats
Frank LaRose
Not good people RepublicanGave the Trump Justice Department Ohio's full voter list, private data included, and in 2023 fired his press secretary over social media posts critical of Trump. Said the August 2023 Issue 1 wasn't about one issue, then told a party dinner it was "100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment" out of the constitution.
Treasurer of State
Vote for oneOpen seat: Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state. Both candidates carry a question mark; we lean toward Walsh.
Seth Walsh
Compromised (best choice in this race) DemocratRan neighborhood development groups in Sedamsville and College Hill before council. In 2023 an aide he forced out filed an ethics complaint saying staff did campaign work on city time; the city paid her $30,000 and denied wrongdoing, and we found no ruling on the complaint.
Sources: Campaign site, WVXU
Jay Edwards
Compromised RepublicanVoted for House Bill 6, the FirstEnergy bailout at the center of a $60 million bribery case, though he wasn't accused of wrongdoing. Reported more than 42 gifts worth $75 or more in 2025 from CEOs, fundraisers and lobbyists, then said he never received some of them.
Sources: Wikipedia, Signal Ohio
Ohio Supreme Court (term starting Jan. 1, 2027)
Vote for oneSince 2022 Ohio prints a party label next to Supreme Court candidates and nominates them in party primaries. Republicans wrote that law to help their candidates, and Republican nominees run on it, so we count the Republican label against a justice. We don't hold the label against Democrats, who opposed the change and have to run under it.
Marilyn Zayas
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratThe first person of Latino heritage elected to an Ohio appeals court, she says she will never endorse a political candidate and has taken no corporate money from energy, banking or insurance interests. The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association rates her "Excellent."
Sources: West Chester Liberty Herald, New Albany-Gahanna Beacon, Judge4Yourself
Daniel R. Hawkins
Not good people RepublicanCalls himself a "strong Conservative for Ohio's Supreme Court" and is backed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce PAC and the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. The Norman S. Minor Bar Association rates him "Not Recommended."
Sources: Judge the Heads, Statehouse News Bureau, Signal Ohio, Judge4Yourself
Ohio Supreme Court (term starting Jan. 2, 2027)
Vote for oneSame rule as the race above: we count the Republican party label against a justice, not the Democratic one. Brunner sued to overturn the party-label law.
Jennifer Brunner
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratIs suing in federal court to take party labels off Ohio judicial ballots, arguing the 2021 law violates free speech. Founded the Franklin County felony drug court as a trial judge, and won the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2008.
Sources: Judge the Heads, Supreme Court of Ohio
Colleen O'Donnell
Not good people RepublicanHer campaign site boasts that as an immigration judge she "never once granted asylum," and says she is running to "preserve a conservative majority on the Court." Endorsed by the Buckeye Firearms Association, Ohio Right to Life PAC and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association.
Sources: Campaign site, Endorsement email
State Issue 3
Yes or noWe describe what the issue does and don't make recommendations. It is Ohio's only statewide issue this year, put on the ballot by the Republican-led legislature.
- Issue 3, photo ID to vote: Writes Ohio's existing photo ID requirement for voting into the state constitution. In-person voters would need an unexpired Ohio driver's license or state ID, a U.S. passport, or a military or VA ID. Mail voters could use a photo ID or, where state law allows, a signature plus another identifier. It changes nothing right away, but repealing or loosening the rule would then take another statewide vote. A yes vote adds it to the constitution; a no vote leaves photo ID as an ordinary state law.
U.S. Representative, District 1
Vote for oneOhio's 2025 congressional map made this seat more competitive for Republicans, and it is rated a toss-up.
Greg Landsman
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratLed the campaign for Cincinnati Preschool Promise and helped pass the Social Security Fairness Act; calls Trump's immigration enforcement "chaotic, cruel and costly." Was criticized in 2024 for reporting about $1.4 million in stock trades late, and says he has since sold his stocks and sponsors a bill banning members of Congress from trading them.
Sources: WVXU, Wikipedia, Washington Free Beacon, Giffords
Eric Conroy
Not good people RepublicanTrump endorsed him in April, calling Landsman a "Radical Left Extremist," and Conroy said he was "honored to have President Trump's endorsement." Backs finishing the border wall and more money for the Border Patrol.
Sources: Campaign site, Campaign site, Campaign site
Nathan Weise
Not enough info LibertarianCalls current immigration enforcement "manufactured non-compliance" and wants an "Ellis Island-style" system, and would end tariffs and the war with Iran. No record in office to judge.
Sources: WVXU, Libertarian Party
U.S. Representative, District 8
Vote for oneVanessa Enoch
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWas the Democratic nominee against Davidson in 2024. Wants a higher minimum wage and lower drug prices, and is endorsed by Moms Demand Action.
Sources: WVXU, Ballotpedia, Campaign site
Warren Davidson
Not good people RepublicanOn January 7, 2021, voted for the objection to counting Pennsylvania's electoral votes. That June he was one of 21 House Republicans to vote against a Congressional Gold Medal for the police who defended the Capitol on January 6.
Sources: House Clerk, Wikipedia
State Senate, District 7
Vote for oneCovers all of Warren County and northeastern Hamilton County.
Cara Jacob
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWas a petition captain for the 2023 abortion rights amendment. Opposes moving public school money into private school vouchers and backs a property tax circuit breaker.
Sources: Ohio Pride PAC, Campaign site, Hamilton County Democrats
Zac Haines
Compromised RepublicanWants to cut or end the state income tax and expand vouchers. Endorsed by Ohio Right to Life PAC, Americans for Prosperity, Ohio Value Voters and Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno.
Sources: Warren County Post, Buckeye Blueprint, The Ballot Brief
State Senate, District 9
Vote for oneCatherine Ingram
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSpoke against the 2023 higher education bill SB 83 as an attack on academic freedom, and against SB 172, which would remove limits on civil immigration arrests at places like schools and churches. Endorsed by the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters and the Greater Cincinnati UAW.
Sources: Ohio Senate, Ohio Senate, Campaign site, Wikipedia
Linda D. Matthews
Compromised RepublicanWants more police funding and school choice for every family. Endorsed by Ohio Right to Life PAC, former Sheriff Jim Neil and Jon Husted.
Sources: Campaign site, iVoterGuide
Ohio House District 26
Vote for oneAshley Bryant Bailey
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratCo-sponsored House Bill 867, which sets minimum standards for food, medical care and clothing in Ohio jails and prisons, after speaking about conditions at ICE detention centers. Endorsed by the Ohio AFL-CIO and the Ohio Federation of Teachers.
Sources: Ohio Legislature, Campaign site, Wikipedia
Tom Brinkman
Compromised RepublicanIn 2021 voted against expelling former Speaker Larry Householder, who had been charged in the nuclear bribery scandal; the House expelled him 75 to 21. Endorsed by Cincinnati Right to Life PAC.
Sources: Wikipedia, Campaign site
Ohio House District 27
Vote for oneRachel Baker
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratVolunteers as a court-appointed advocate for abused and neglected children. Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, the Ohio Education Association and the Cincinnati AFL-CIO.
Sources: Ohio House, Campaign site, Wikipedia
Nancy Reed Aichholz
Not enough info RepublicanThe county Republican Party picked her to replace Elizabeth Maier on the ballot after Maier withdrew. Chairs the party's finance committee; we found nothing on her positions beyond safer streets and school funding.
Sources: The Ballot Brief, Elections Simplified, Campaign site
Ohio House District 28
Vote for oneKaren Brownlee
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratIn her first year introduced bills to ban conversion therapy, write the Affordable Care Act into state law and create a task force on gun violence. Endorsed by the Ohio Federation of Teachers and Ohio Pride PAC.
Sources: Ohio House, Ohio Pride PAC, Wikipedia
Jill Cole
Not enough info RepublicanServed eight years on the Sycamore school board and supports vouchers and charter schools. Sits on the board of the Blue Ash Republican Club; we found nothing on her record either way.
Sources: Campaign site, City of Blue Ash, BallotReady
Ohio House District 29
Vote for oneJonathan R. Bradner
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratPushed for fair wages for co-workers in hospitality jobs, and is running on fully funded public schools and affordable housing. Endorsed by Run for Something and the county Democratic Party.
Sources: Campaign site, Run for Something, Hamilton County Democrats
Cindy Abrams
Compromised RepublicanChairs the House Public Safety Committee and voted for the 2026 law widening the crime of interfering with an arrest. Named Legislator of the Year by the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police and endorsed by Ohio Right to Life PAC.
Sources: Ohio House, Elections Simplified, iVoterGuide
Ohio House District 30
Vote for oneCaleb Price
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on lower property tax, grocery and energy bills and gun violence prevention. Endorsed by Landsman, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Cincinnati AFL-CIO and Moms Demand Action.
Sources: Campaign site, Ohio Pride PAC
Mike Odioso
Compromised RepublicanCo-founded a coalition for families with developmental disabilities, and sponsored a bill adding consent rules and a 24-hour wait before an elective abortion. Endorsed by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.
Sources: Ohio House, Campaign site, Campaign site
Unopposed Ohio House seats
No contestDistrict 24 (Dani Isaacsohn) and District 25 (Cecil Thomas), both Democrats.
Local issues
We describe what each issue does and don't make recommendations. State Issue 3, the voter ID amendment, is covered with the statewide races. Cost estimates are the county auditor's, per $100,000 of market value.
Issue 10, Hamilton County children's services levy (renewal and increase)
For or againstRenews 4.51 mills and adds 1.1 mills, for 5.61 mills over four years, to pay for children's services and the care and placement of children. The auditor estimates it raises $116.9 million a year and costs $121 a year per $100,000 of home value. Every voter in the county sees it. Ballot language.
Issue 4, Cincinnati Public Schools levy (additional)
For or againstA new 7-mill tax for day-to-day operating costs, for five years. The auditor estimates it raises $66.3 million a year and costs $245 a year per $100,000 of home value. Ballot language.
Issue 8, Sycamore Community Schools levy (additional)
For or againstA new 6.95-mill tax for operating costs and building improvements, with no end date. Estimated at $18 million a year and $243 per $100,000 of home value. Ballot language.
Issue 9, Winton Woods City Schools levy (additional)
For or againstA new 6.95-mill tax for operating costs, with no end date. Estimated at $5.3 million a year and $243 per $100,000 of home value. Ballot language.
Issues 5, 6 and 7, school income taxes
For or againstTaxes on residents' earned income for operating costs: 1.25% in North College Hill City Schools for five years (Issue 5), 1.5% in Northwest Local Schools with no end date (Issue 6), and 0.25% in Southwest Local Schools with no end date (Issue 7). Ballot language.
Issue 14, Forest Park fire and EMS levy (additional)
For or againstA new 3.9-mill tax for fire protection and emergency medical services, with no end date. Estimated at $2 million a year and $137 per $100,000 of home value. Ballot language.
Other local issues
VariesTax renewals in Cheviot, Deer Park, Norwood, Fairfax, Glendale, Golf Manor, Greenhills, Mariemont, North Bend, Terrace Park and Miami Township; new levies for Lockland fire and EMS (8 mills) and the Addyston water supply (1 mill); charter amendments in Harrison, Madeira, Wyoming and St. Bernard; and Sunday liquor sales questions for single businesses in Cincinnati 9-D, Terrace Park A and Springfield C. Check your sample ballot. Full list and ballot language.
More Ohio guides
Governor, statewide offices and ballot measures: Ohio statewide races.
- Lucas County: Toledo, Sylvania, Maumee, Oregon, Waterville, Whitehouse, Holland, Ottawa Hills, Harbor View, Berkey
- Summit County: Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson, Barberton, Green, Twinsburg, Tallmadge, Fairlawn, Macedonia, Norton, New Franklin
- Franklin County: Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Grove City, Reynoldsburg, Gahanna, Bexley, Whitehall, Worthington, Grandview Heights
- Cuyahoga County: Cleveland, Parma, Lakewood, Euclid, Cleveland Heights, Strongsville, Shaker Heights, Westlake, North Olmsted, North Royalton, Garfield Heights, Brook Park
- Delaware County: Delaware, Powell, Lewis Center, Sunbury, Galena, Ostrander, Shawnee Hills, Westerville, Dublin, Columbus
- Montgomery County: Dayton, Kettering, Huber Heights, Centerville, Miamisburg, Trotwood, Vandalia, Riverside, West Carrollton, Englewood, Oakwood, Germantown