Ohio’s 8th District House Race 2026

Gun rights remain a central flashpoint in Ohio's 2026 elections for U.S. Senate and governor. Republican Jon Husted, who led concealed-carry reform as Ohio House Speaker, faces Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown, criticized by gun-rights advocates for backing assault weapons bans, red-flag laws, and universal background checks. In the governor's race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy opposes gun registration and red-flag orders, while Democrat Amy Acton, former state health director, frames gun ownership as a public health issue and backs expanded background checks. Republicans have poured over $200 million into the Senate race, with Trump and Vance rallying for Husted amid economic frustrations that analysts say could narrow GOP margins statewide.

U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, the Bowling Green Republican who has represented Ohio's 5th Congressional District since 2007 and chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee's energy subcommittee, faces Democrat Brian Shaver and Libertarian Michael Veloff in November. Ohio's 2025 GOP-led redistricting shifted several Republican-leaning counties out of Latta's district and into Marcy Kaptur's, in an effort to unseat Kaptur — a change Shaver and Veloff argue could make Latta more vulnerable, though political forecasters still rate the seat safely Republican.

Latta touts his frequent district travel, legislative record, and work on energy permitting and data center ratepayer protections. Shaver, a civics teacher and local union president, centers his campaign on affordability, accountability, and restoring congressional checks on presidential power, criticizing tariffs and unauthorized military action. Veloff, running on a Libertarian platform mixing small-government and consumer-protection ideas, hopes to draw disaffected Republican voters away from Latta. Campaign finance reports show Latta with a substantial fundraising advantage over both challengers heading into the fall election.

Early voting began Tuesday in Ohio, a state hosting some of the most competitive contests in the November 3 midterms, including a Senate special election and two House races rated toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. The results could help decide which party controls Congress for the next two years.

Republican Senator Jon Husted faces a challenge from Democrat Sherrod Brown, who previously held the seat for 18 years before losing it to Bernie Moreno. In the House, Republican Representative Max Miller is fighting for a third term in the 7th district amid domestic violence allegations he denies, challenged by Democrat Brian Poindexter. In the 9th district, longtime Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur faces a rematch against Republican Derek Merrin. Voters are weighing inflation, rising living costs and the ongoing US war with Iran against President Trump's record-low approval rating, with both parties watching Ohio for signs of whether disaffected voters are shifting allegiance ahead of the broader fight for House and Senate majorities.