Ohio’s 14th District House Race 2026

President Donald Trump held a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, urging supporters to back Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jon Husted against Democrat Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy against Democrat Amy Acton ahead of the November midterms. Speaking at the Covelli Centre, Trump framed the races as a choice to "Put Ohio First" and asked attendees to treat the contests as if he were personally on the ballot. He also announced federal assistance for SOBE Thermal Energy Systems and disclosed that Cleveland will host a new 46,000-square-foot U.S. Navy submarine component repair facility, crediting Husted with securing the project. Jon Gruden introduced Trump, with boxer Jake Paul also appearing.

A new co/efficient poll of 925 likely Ohio voters, taken Oct. 5-6, found both races within the margin of error: Ramaswamy led Acton 45%-43% in the governor's race, while Husted led Brown 44%-43% in the Senate contest, a special election to fill the seat J.D. Vance vacated. Analysts continue to rate both races as toss-ups.

Ohio's 2026 governor's race is shaping up as a pivotal contest over abortion policy, with Democrat Amy Acton, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and independent Don Kissick offering sharply different approaches to reproductive rights, an issue the next governor will have substantial power to shape. Elsewhere in Ohio politics, state Rep. Allison Russo and Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague are negotiating terms for a debate after clashing over 2020 election fraud claims, and a new analysis pushes back on claims by Sen. Jon Husted that coal plant closures during Sherrod Brown's tenure drove up electric bills, pointing instead to rising demand from data centers.

In congressional races, Rep. Dave Joyce faces Democrat Maria Jukic in the 14th District, while Rep. Marcy Kaptur has resumed campaigning after a car crash injury, ahead of a rematch with Derek Merrin in a redrawn, more Republican-leaning 9th District. Separately, the Ohio Supreme Court blocked a Wilmington data-center ordinance from the November ballot, and Ashland County Fair officials settled a free-speech lawsuit over ejected anti-Trump vendors.

Ohio's next governor inherits a healthcare crisis affecting much of the state's nearly 12 million residents. Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans face the potential loss of Medicaid coverage, rural hospitals risk closure due to federal Medicaid cuts, and many residents already struggle to afford care even when their coverage isn't threatened.

Democrat Amy Acton and Libertarian Don Kissick responded to questions about how they would address these issues if elected governor; Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign did not respond to inquiries. The healthcare questions add a significant policy dimension to the gubernatorial race, with rural hospital viability and Medicaid access emerging as key issues facing whoever wins.

The healthcare debate unfolds alongside other Ohio political developments, including competitive congressional races, data-center policy tensions dividing labor unions backing Sen. Sherrod Brown, and continued scrutiny of the East Palestine derailment cleanup, where a former contractor employee has alleged pressure to underreport contamination readings.

A federal appeals court ruled Friday against prediction-market operator Kalshi in its legal fight with Ohio over state regulation of its sports-related contracts. Kalshi had argued its offerings should be treated as federally regulated financial "swaps," exempting them from state gambling laws and taxes; the appeals court rejected that argument, allowing Ohio to continue enforcing its gambling regulations against the company. Gov. Mike DeWine, discussing the ruling with reporters, dismissed Kalshi's framing of its products, saying "if it's a pig, it's a pig... these guys are pigs."

The same appeals court also issued a related ruling Friday on intoxicating hemp products, finding Ohio can require sellers to obtain licenses from state marijuana regulators, though restrictions based on business location likely violate the Constitution's dormant commerce clause. The Kalshi decision adds to a broader national pattern of states pushing back against prediction markets' sports-related contracts, testing the boundary between federally regulated derivatives and state-regulated gambling.

The federal government is directing $3.15 million to Ohio through the Rural Health Transformation Program to link pharmacies, federally qualified health centers and outpatient hospital pharmacies across the state's 73 rural counties to prescription drug information systems. The funding aims to help prescribers and pharmacists avoid dangerous drug interactions and curb fraudulent efforts to obtain controlled substances from multiple providers. Of the total, $2 million will improve pharmacists' access to patient medical records and strengthen medication management, while $1.15 million will expand integrated access to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System for rural providers.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio's congressional delegation, including Reps. Dave Joyce and Bob Latta and Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, praised the award, tying it to funds made available under the 2025 Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Officials framed the money as addressing pharmacy closures and access gaps that have made it harder for rural families to fill prescriptions close to home.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted work on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project in Joliet, Illinois, on July 24, pausing construction of a roughly $1.2 billion barrier designed to stop invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The system combines engineered water flow, underwater sound, bubble curtains and electric current to block carp while allowing barge traffic.

Ohio Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Dave Joyce, joined by Michigan Reps. Debbie Dingell and Bill Huizenga, sent a letter urging the administration to lift the stop-work order, noting the project is fully funded and reviewed. Urgency grew after Illinois officials found juvenile silver carp in the Illinois River just 80 miles from Lake Michigan in mid-August, the farthest upstream detection in 16 years of monitoring. Experts warn established carp populations could devastate native fish species and the region's fishing economy. Construction began in 2024 with completion projected around 2030, a timeline already delayed by funding pauses.

Adelle Burrell-Williams, former secretary-treasurer of AFSCME Local 1746 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. She and former union President Pamela Brown are accused of withdrawing cash at casinos using the union's debit card and writing unauthorized checks from its operating account between 2017 and 2022, totaling roughly $350,000. Prosecutors say the pair tried to hide the scheme by creating false reports and failing to keep financial records. Burrell-Williams is scheduled for sentencing February 27 before U.S. District Judge John Adams in Akron. Brown's arraignment has been delayed due to health issues. The case stems from a U.S. Department of Labor investigation. Local 1746 represents over 1,200 county social workers.

Akron residents will vote on three proposed city charter amendments in the Nov. 3 general election, after organizers including Freedom BLOC, the Akron NAACP, and the Greater Akron Fellowship of Clergy submitted roughly 13,000 signatures to place the measures on the ballot. As charter amendments rather than ordinances, they cannot be undone by the mayor, City Council, or a future administration without another public vote.

Issue 11 would require landlords to offer installment plans for security deposits and ban various tenant screening fees. Issue 12 would make criminal history and source of income protected classes in housing, expanding the Akron Civil Rights Commission's jurisdiction over discrimination claims. Issue 13 would restructure the Citizen's Police Oversight Board, created after the 2022 police shooting of Jayland Walker, by limiting City Council's appointment power and giving the Office of the Independent Police Auditor subpoena authority. The outcomes will shape landlord-tenant law and civilian police oversight in Akron for years to come.

Akron residents will vote on Issues 11 and 12, a pair of proposed charter amendments aimed at addressing the city's housing situation, likely involving new rules or protections affecting landlords and tenants. A former Akron planning director has publicly urged a "no" vote on both, arguing that setting public policy through charter amendments bypasses the normal legislative process, creates legal ambiguity, and limits future officials' flexibility. Critics contend the measures could raise rents and discourage rental housing investment and construction in the city. Opponents point instead to existing tools, such as a residential property tax abatement program and ongoing zoning reform, as better paths to improving housing affordability and availability in Akron.

Akron Metro RTA will offer free fares on three upcoming dates: Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; and Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1. The free fares apply only to METRO Direct and METRO ADA services.

On Election Day, polls in Summit County are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and riders can use the free service to reach polling locations. METRO Chief of Staff Jarrod Hampshire said the initiative reflects the agency's effort to keep transportation accessible and support residents on days of civic, community and charitable significance. Riders can check METRO's website for bus routes and schedules, and the Summit County Board of Elections site for polling locations.