Ohio House of Representatives

Ohio voters choose a new secretary of state on Nov. 3, with Republican state Treasurer Robert Sprague, Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo, and Libertarian Tom Pruss on the ballot. The race has turned on two election-policy flashpoints: a proposed constitutional amendment (Issue 3) locking in photo ID requirements, which Sprague backs and Russo and Pruss oppose, and absentee ballot drop boxes, which Sprague wants eliminated while Russo and Pruss favor expanding. Sprague, the best-funded candidate, emphasizes election security and points to fraud cases in other states; Russo argues Ohio's drop boxes are already secure and accuses Republicans of suppressing access. A planned debate between Sprague and Russo never materialized.

Ohio's 2026 Senate race will pit former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his 2024 reelection bid, against Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed after JD Vance resigned to become vice president. The winner serves the final two years of Vance's term. Democrats need four seats to flip Senate control, making the contest a key test of whether they can compete in a state that has trended Republican. Economic issues — fuel and grocery costs, trade with Canada, and health care — are expected to dominate the campaign. Recent polling shows Brown leading Husted, with Husted facing scrutiny over his ties to President Trump.

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.

Ohio's gubernatorial candidates are staking out sharply different positions on the state income tax ahead of the fall election. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy wants to abolish it entirely, Democrat Amy Acton favors targeted tax credits for parents and lower-income residents, and Libertarian Don Kissick says he'd consider cuts but doesn't see it as urgent. Fundraising reports show Acton outraised Ramaswamy in September, though Ramaswamy's personal loans to his own campaign have reached over $36 million.

The race is drawing national attention as President Trump returns to the Mahoning Valley and Vice President JD Vance rallied in Lima, both aiming to energize Republican turnout for Ramaswamy and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted. Democrats, including Senate nominee Sherrod Brown, are betting that affordability concerns can erode Trump's hold on working-class voters. Down-ballot, Rep. Shontel Brown enters her reelection with a large financial advantage, while Rep. Mike Carey's seat remains a Democratic target despite a tough fundraising gap and Trump-friendly district lines.

Ohio voters will choose a new secretary of state on Nov. 3, picking among Republican Robert Sprague, the state's treasurer for the past eight years; Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo, former Ohio House minority leader; and Libertarian entrepreneur Tom Pruss. The office oversees the state's 88 county boards of elections, certifies results, runs the Ohio Ballot Board, investigates election fraud claims and maintains voter rolls, giving the winner significant influence over election administration and reform.

The race has sharpened around Issue 3, a ballot measure to enshrine Ohio's voter ID law in the state constitution. Sprague supports it and wants photo ID requirements extended to absentee voters, calling drop boxes unnecessary and a security risk. Russo opposes Issue 3 as a turnout tactic, says fraud is rare, and backs expanding drop boxes and voter registration efforts. Pruss also opposes Issue 3, supports drop boxes, and is campaigning chiefly to make ballot access easier for minor parties like his own.

Ohio spent years courting massive data centers with tax incentives, but now faces the question of who covers the cost of powering them. PJM Interconnection, which operates the regional electric grid, projects data centers will account for 30 of the 32 gigawatts of peak-load growth expected across its 12-state region by 2030, and has warned residential customers could face higher bills without new protections.

Ohio lawmakers have struggled to pass legislation creating a separate customer class for large electricity users like data centers, a measure intended to shield households from subsidizing industrial demand. The effort stalled in the Ohio House, and legislators adjourned without resolving it, with no return expected until after the election. Critics note lawmakers found time to pass a temporary suspension of the state's gas tax while leaving the data-center issue unaddressed, despite growing public concern over electricity and water use, tax breaks, and neighborhood impacts. Separately, federal regulators this week directed PJM to revise its plan for addressing a projected power shortfall, stressing that costs from large new electricity users should not be shifted onto existing customers.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 on Thursday, suspending the state's 38.5-cent gasoline tax and 47-cent diesel tax for 90 days, effective Sunday through Jan. 2, 2027. The Senate passed the bill 26-5 and the House 78-16 in an emergency vote Wednesday, with the measure fast-tracked days before early voting begins for the Nov. 3 election.

The roughly $725 million in lost revenue will be covered by a state budget surplus rather than road-project funds or ODOT's cash reserves, an earlier sticking point for DeWine. The Legislative Service Commission estimates average drivers could save up to $55 over three months, though lawmakers acknowledge oil companies may not pass along the full savings. Gas prices in Ohio have climbed to around $4.20 a gallon and diesel to $6.66, driven partly by the Iran conflict. Supporters, including GOP gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, framed it as consumer relief; some Democrats argued the surplus should instead address utility and property tax burdens. The tax holiday's fate after expiration will fall to the next governor and legislature.

Democrat Sherrod Brown released a viral 30-second ad attacking Republican Sen. Jon Husted over remarks Husted made in March about people living in poverty. The ad features Ohio residents reacting with shock and profanity as they watch a clip of Husted saying poor people are "not very experienced at navigating the real world" and describing a young woman on food stamps who he said didn't "understand how money works at a grocery store," adding that "you literally have to teach people how to budget." It drew over 350,000 views within hours, praised by Brown supporters as exposing Husted as out of touch while drawing backlash from the right.

The ad comes as two new polls, from Suffolk University/USA Today and Marist, show Brown leading Husted by three and eight points respectively ahead of Ohio's Nov. 3 special Senate election to finish JD Vance's term. Both surveys found broad dissatisfaction with President Trump's job performance and economic concerns weighing on voters, continuing a months-long trend of polling favoring Brown, a former longtime senator ousted in 2024.