Who is running in Montgomery County, Ohio in 2026
- County Commissioner
- Carolyn Rice and Margie Christie
- County Auditor
- Karl Keith and Tammy Murphy
- 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 10
- Kristina Knickerbocker, Mike Turner and Thomas McMasters
- State Senate, District 5
- Jeffrey Harris and Phil Plummer
- Ohio House District 36
- Rose Lounsbury, Andrea White and Chuck Horn
- Ohio House District 37
- Tom Herner and Tom Young
- Ohio House District 39
- Daquan Neal and Mark Campbell
- Ohio House District 40
- Timothy B. Hornbacker, Rodney Creech and Joshua A. Umbaugh
Montgomery County
Ohio county offices are partisan. Dayton's mayor and commission, and most other city, township and school board seats, are elected in odd years, so none are on this ballot.
County Commissioner
Vote for oneOne of three seats on the commission, which passed a $1 billion budget this year. May news reports said independent Michael Charles King Jr. would also run, but he isn't on the later candidate lists we saw, and we couldn't check the board's own list. Look at your ballot.
Carolyn Rice
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratAs treasurer she funded a foreclosure mediation program that helped 1,252 families keep their homes, and she founded the county land bank in 2011, which now builds homes for women-led and single-parent families. As commissioner she gave $1 million to a local food bank and has expanded county support for YWCA domestic violence shelters.
Sources: Matriots Ohio, Dayton Daily News, Campaign site
Margie Christie
Compromised RepublicanWon a three-way Republican primary in May with 33% of the vote. Wants to repeal the county's 2018 quarter-cent sales tax increase and calls herself a "watchdog for the taxpayers." She led a right-wing advocacy group, which counts against her under our rules.
Sources: Dayton Daily News, Campaign site, WHIO
County Auditor
Vote for oneKarl Keith
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratHas worked on property tax reform through the County Auditors Association of Ohio. Runs on transparency and says "our democracy works best when people are informed, included, and engaged."
Sources: Dayton Daily News, Campaign site, The Ballot Brief
Tammy Murphy
Not enough info RepublicanSays "I support the ballot initiative to abolish property taxes" and has worked on citizen campaigns to do it, though she pledges to run the office fairly "whatever voters decide." Nothing in her record either way on the issues we rate.
Sources: Campaign site, Dayton Daily News
Judges
Not profiledCommon Pleas judges run without party labels in November; the parties shown are from the May primaries. Court of Common Pleas, General Division: Steve Abshire (R, appointed this year) vs. Richard Glennon (D) for the rest of retired Judge Dennis Adkins's term; Michele Henne (R, appointed in 2025) vs. Kelly Madzey (D) for Judge Richard Skelton's former seat; Derek Muncy (R) vs. Anne Keeton (D) for the seat Judge Steve Dankof is leaving. Juvenile Division: Nicholas Sylvain (R) vs. Hope Smalls (D). Probate: David Brannon (R, incumbent) vs. Cassandra Rice (D). Unopposed: Susan D. Solle (D) and Elizabeth A. Ellis (R) for General Division terms starting in 2027, and Chris Epley (R) for the 2nd District Court of Appeals. We haven't profiled judges yet. Dayton Daily News; Ballotpedia.
State and federal
All of Montgomery County is in the 10th Congressional District, Northern and western parts of the county vote in state Senate District 5; the rest is in District 6, which isn't up this year. The county is split among Ohio House Districts 36 to 40. 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 10
Vote for oneOhio's 2025 map made the district a little more Republican: Trump won it by 8 points under the new lines. Turner won by nearly 20 in 2024, but national Democrats are targeting the seat.
Kristina Knickerbocker
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWon a six-way Democratic primary with 33%. Says insurance companies "deny first" and that people can't afford the care they need, and runs on lowering health and family costs.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Ballotpedia, NOTUS
Mike Turner
Not good people RepublicanTrump endorsed him for reelection in November 2025. A pro-NATO defense hawk, he was removed as Intelligence chair in January 2025 and said the speaker cited "concerns from Mar-a-Lago." In 2022 he kept repeating claims that John Durham's filings proved Hillary Clinton "spied" on Trump after Durham denied that in court.
Sources: Just the News, Spectrum News, Wikipedia
Thomas McMasters
Not enough info LibertarianSays he is anti-war but wants a strong military, and that voting Libertarian will push the two parties to work together again. We found nothing else about his plans.
Sources: Ballotpedia
State Senate, District 5
Vote for oneAn open seat: Sen. Steve Huffman is term-limited. The district covers northern and western Montgomery County, all of Miami and Preble counties, and parts of Darke and Butler. Harris has no record to judge; we pick him over a candidate running on loyalty to Trump.
Jeffrey Harris
Not enough info (best choice in this race) DemocratWon the Democratic primary as a write-in, with 584 votes. We found no campaign site or public record for him.
Sources: Ballotpedia, The Ballot Brief
Phil Plummer
Not good people RepublicanLaunched his campaign saying "I will continue to stand with" Trump. He told state investigators Rep. Rodney Creech's comments about a sexual misconduct allegation were "disgusting," then kept Creech on the party's endorsement card anyway. In 2019 he cosponsored an abortion ban that told doctors to try to "reimplant" ectopic pregnancies, which isn't medically possible.
Sources: WDTN, Dayton Daily News via Yahoo, Wikipedia
Ohio House District 36
Vote for oneKettering, Oakwood, Riverside and parts of Dayton, including downtown. A rematch: White beat Lounsbury by about 5 points in 2024.
Rose Lounsbury
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSays she is running "because she cares deeply about protecting democracy in Ohio," and backs public schools, teachers and unions, and voting rights.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Andrea White
Not enough info RepublicanHer bills focus on early learning, infant and maternal health, addiction and mental health, and she has worked on the county's overdose and drug prevention coalitions. We didn't find endorsements from the groups we flag, and we didn't review her full voting record.
Sources: Ohio House, Ballotpedia
Chuck Horn
Not enough info IndependentLost the 2024 Democratic primary to Lounsbury and is running as an independent with a "common sense" pitch. His site gives few specifics.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Campaign site
Ohio House District 37
Vote for oneCenterville, Washington Township, West Carrollton, Moraine and parts of Dayton, Jefferson Township and Miami Township, plus Springboro and Carlisle in Warren County.
Tom Herner
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWants to expand the Homestead Exemption and return to the Fair School Funding Plan instead of private school vouchers. Says he was conceived through IVF and will defend reproductive freedom; campaigns against the HB 6 scandal and other statehouse corruption.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Campaign site
Tom Young
Not enough info RepublicanRuns on income and property tax cuts, workforce training and "more accountability" for Ohio colleges. We didn't find endorsements from the groups we flag, and we didn't review his full voting record.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia
Ohio House District 39
Vote for oneAn open seat: Phil Plummer, who holds it, is running for state Senate. Neither candidate has much of a record to judge; we pick Neal on our center-left tiebreak.
Daquan Neal
Not enough info (best choice in this race) DemocratRuns on lowering rent, food and utility costs, raising wages and expanding job training, and calls himself part of "a new generation of progressive leadership." His site doesn't describe his work background.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia
Mark Campbell
Not enough info RepublicanWants to cut state spending, red tape and taxes, and promises to go after fraud and waste. Nothing in his record either way on the issues we rate.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia
Ohio House District 40
Vote for oneWestern Montgomery County, all of Preble County and part of northern Butler County. No Democrat filed; Hornbacker got on the ballot as a write-in in the May primary.
Timothy B. Hornbacker
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSays he ran because he "grew tired of seeing only blanks on the Democratic side of the slate." Wants a local say over data centers and factory farms, and says unhoused people "are veterans, parents, and medically needy citizens deserving of our compassion."
Sources: Ballotpedia, Campaign site
Rodney Creech
Not good people RepublicanA state investigation looked into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct with a teenage girl. The special prosecutor filed no charges but called his behavior "concerning and suspicious," and the House speaker asked him to resign. Creech denies it and calls it a "political smear."
Sources: Dayton Daily News, Dayton Daily News via Yahoo, Ballotpedia
Joshua A. Umbaugh
Not enough info LibertarianPromises to stay out of "the entertainment-driven outrage circus of culture wars" and opposes subsidies for big corporations. Backs Defend the Guard, which would keep Ohio National Guard troops out of overseas combat without a declaration of war.
Sources: Ballotpedia
Unopposed Ohio House seat
No contestDistrict 38 (Desiree Tims, Democrat).
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 from the Dayton Daily News, per $100,000 of property value. We couldn't reach the board's full issue list, so non-tax questions such as liquor options may be missing; check your sample ballot.
Dayton Public Schools levy (additional)
For or againstA new levy with no end date: 7 mills for operating costs and 2 mills for buildings and equipment. It would raise $14.6 million a year and cost a homeowner $245 a year per $100,000 of value. Dayton Daily News.
Miamisburg City Schools income tax
For or againstA new 0.5% tax on the income of district residents for operating costs, with no end date. Dayton Daily News.
Northridge Local Schools permanent improvement levy
For or againstA new 2.2-mill levy with no end date for buildings and equipment, raising $417,913 a year at $77 per $100,000. Dayton Daily News.
City of Union income tax for police and fire
For or againstAdds 1% to Union's income tax for police and fire, on top of continuing the existing 1.5%. Dayton Daily News.
Township levies
For or againstJackson Township (including Farmersville): a new 2-mill, 10-year parks levy, $70 per $100,000, raising $275,842 a year. Jefferson Township: a new 3-mill, 5-year levy for operating costs, $105 per $100,000, raising $337,882. German Township: renews a 1-mill, 5-year senior services levy, now $22 per $100,000. Dayton Daily News.
Oakwood renewals
For or againstOakwood City Schools renews a 1.8-mill permanent improvement levy with no end date (now $35 per $100,000, raising $550,900 a year), and the City of Oakwood renews a 2.72-mill, 5-year operating levy (now $31 per $100,000, raising $504,229). Renewals don't raise taxes. Dayton Daily News.
More Ohio guides
Governor, statewide offices and ballot measures: Ohio statewide races.
- Hamilton County: Cincinnati, Norwood, Blue Ash, Forest Park, Springdale, Harrison, Montgomery, Sharonville, Reading, Cheviot
- 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