Keith Faber

Ohio Democrats head into this year's elections with what analysts call their best shot in years to break the GOP's grip on statewide offices, though Republicans retain a clear structural advantage. Separately, a new state law requires mailed absentee ballots to reach county election offices by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day with no grace period, prompting Secretary of State Frank LaRose to urge voters to use drop boxes or deliver ballots in person. The Ohio Auditor's office also took its web systems offline after a cyberattack possibly involving foreign actors, though officials say no financial data appears compromised. LaRose separately sought a federal probe into a voter-registration group's activity in Cuyahoga County.

Ohio's Nov. 3 ballot features a high-profile governor's race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio's former pandemic-era health director, in a contest that could end two decades of GOP control. Republican Sen. Jon Husted faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown in a toss-up race with national implications for Senate control. Voters will also decide Issue 3, which would enshrine Ohio's photo ID voting requirement in the state constitution, plus races for attorney general, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and state supreme court seats.

Locally, Columbus voters weigh two competing city charter amendments (Issues 8 and 9) that would reshape how City Council members are elected, while Franklin County-area communities decide school levies, bond issues and charter changes.

Michael Perik, husband of Rhode Island Democratic Party Chair Liz Beretta-Perik, has been indicted on 12 felony counts tied to a racketeering scheme that allegedly siphoned $20 million in federal financial aid and state subsidies from the now-closed Eastern Gateway Community College in Ohio. Prosecutors say Perik and two co-defendants used for-profit companies to control enrollment and financial aid, disbursing funds to ineligible students and bribing officials between 2017 and 2022, a period when enrollment ballooned from roughly 8,500 to over 60,000 students, mostly online and out-of-state. Perik's attorney calls the case political retribution. Beretta-Perik has not been charged; Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes has called for her to step aside.

Ohio gambling regulators have widened their enforcement push against prediction markets offering sports event contracts, sending cease-and-desist letters to nine operators—including Polymarket and Robinhood—after winning a federal appeals court ruling against Kalshi. The letters warn operators they must comply with state sports-betting regulations or stop allowing Ohio residents to trade on sporting events within 14 days, or face fines, lawsuits, or criminal charges.

The move intensifies a broader national legal fight over whether prediction markets' sports-related contracts qualify as federally regulated financial "swaps," which would exempt them from state gambling oversight, or as de facto sports betting subject to state licensing and consumer-protection rules. Ohio's action follows its earlier court victory over Kalshi and signals that state regulators intend to pursue the full field of prediction-market operators rather than targeting a single company. The outcome could shape how prediction markets operate nationwide, as similar disputes are playing out in other states while federal regulators and courts weigh in on the swaps-versus-gambling classification question.

Republican Keith Faber and Democrat John Kulewicz, rivals for Ohio attorney general, have agreed to debate on Oct. 19 in Youngstown, marking the first agreed-upon debate among candidates in any of the state's nine statewide races this election cycle. Both candidates say fighting public corruption is a priority, though they diverge on approach: Faber wants a permanent anti-corruption task force to coordinate investigations across agencies, while Kulewicz argues the existing system just needs more aggressive enforcement.

The debate news comes amid a flurry of high-profile Ohio campaign activity. Vice President JD Vance is set to rally for Republicans in Lima, following President Trump's early-October rally in Vandalia and an upcoming Trump stop in Youngstown—three top-ticket visits within ten days that Democrats say signal GOP concern over Sen. Jon Husted's re-election bid against Democrat Sherrod Brown. Separately, Gov. Mike DeWine's expedited pardon program has now assisted 323 Ohioans with old, low-level convictions, with hundreds more applications pending.

Republican Keith Faber and Democrat John Kulewicz, the two candidates for Ohio attorney general in 2026, agree corruption is a priority but disagree sharply on strategy. Faber, Ohio's current state auditor, wants to create a permanent anti-corruption task force within the AG's office, pairing dedicated attorneys with investigators and forensic accountants to pursue fraud in areas like Medicaid and childcare programs and to streamline cases such as the Columbus Zoo spending scandal. He says current efforts have been "haphazard" and would build on the 170 convictions his auditor's office has helped secure since 2019.

Kulewicz argues Ohio already has adequate legal tools and structures, and that the real problem is weak enforcement, not organization. He criticized Faber for not committing to continue the prosecution of former FirstEnergy executives tied to the Sam Randazzo bribery case, and questioned why Faber didn't push for a task force earlier in his tenure as auditor. The debate follows years of high-profile scandals, including the House Bill 6 bribery case, though the issue has had limited political traction for Democrats.

Republican Keith Faber and Democrat John Kulewicz, the two nominees for Ohio attorney general, have agreed to debate on Oct. 19 at Youngstown State University, becoming the first candidates in any of Ohio's nine statewide races to commit to facing off before the Nov. 3 election. The event, moderated by Tony Paglia of the Youngstown Press Club, follows a joint statement from both campaigns pledging a "free, fair, and informative" discussion for voters.

Faber, the current state auditor, has emphasized support for law enforcement, consumer protection, combating trafficking, and resisting federal overreach. Kulewicz has focused on consumer protection and price-fixing enforcement, arguing the office should prioritize state issues over national political lawsuits. Both candidates have outlined anti-corruption plans, and differ on continuing the prosecution of former FirstEnergy executives and on regulating license-plate camera technology. No debates have yet been scheduled in Ohio's higher-profile Senate or governor's races, where candidates have so far resisted or failed to arrange face-offs.

Cleveland Heights has filed its delinquent 2024 financial audit with the Ohio state auditor's office, leaving just the 2025 audit outstanding as the city works to resolve fiscal reporting failures from the prior administration. Late filings for 2023 and 2024 led Moody's Investors Service to pull the city's "A1" credit rating about 18 months ago, placing it in a "no rating" category that limits its ability to borrow or issue bonds.

Under Mayor Jim Petras and new Finance Director Joe Brodzinski, city controller Tiffinae Ware told council the 2025 financials should be closed out within weeks. Council President Tony Cuda has asked for further discussion of the 2025 audit and the city's bond rating at an upcoming finance committee meeting ahead of 2027 budget hearings. Auditors also flagged a lapsed capital assets inventory as a "material weakness" that could lead to a state non-compliance finding. Separately, the city's Cedar-Fairmount parking garage will close for about a month starting Labor Day week for resurfacing work.