09/10/25

The Primary Election for the 2026 cycle is on May 5. In Midterm election years, Ohio holds this later Primary in May instead of the typical March Primary in Presidential election years. The filing deadline for candidates to run is 90 days prior to the Primary Election, and for this election cycle that deadline falls on February 4, about five months away.

The political season is already ramping up, with candidates declaring for offices and announcing fundraising tallies. Here is what we know so far about current candidates early in this election cycle:

 Candidates

U.S. Senate: Democrat and former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost reelection in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno, has officially jumped in to challenge Republican U.S. Senator Jon Husted for his seat in 2026. While this seat will be on the November ballot alongside regularly-scheduled seats up for grabs, this is considered a special election to serve for the remainder of the term since Husted was appointed to fill the seat early this year. Should Husted or Brown win in 2026, they would have to run for re-election again in 2028 which is when the official term for this Senate seat expires. Of note – U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) publicly hinted last month at a likely large push from the crypto industry to back Husted, similar to their support of Moreno in 2024.

Governor: With Sherrod Brown committing to the Senate race instead of for Governor, former Democrat U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan appears likely to run for Governor. This chatter heated up significantly after Brown’s Senate announcement, but the Ohio Democratic Party would potentially face internal challenges and a competitive primary. The current lone Democrat officially running for Governor is former Health Director Amy Acton, and she was endorsed last month by former Dayton Mayor and 2022 Democrat gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley. Ryan has yet to make any announcement, but continues to make public appearances and comments hinting at a run.

Ohio Treasurer: There are now four Republican candidates in this primary, which includes former Republican House Representative Jay Edwards, current State Senator Kristina Roegner, former State Senator Niraj Antani, and Lake County Treasurer Michael Zuren. As of today, there are no Democrat candidates declared for this race.

General Assembly/Statehouse House: Roughly a third of the 99 incumbent Ohio House Representative are currently freshmen in their first term, including House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima). In 2026, there are currently 20 open seats where the incumbents are either term-limited (8 years), running for another office, or leaving public office altogether due to retirement or other reasons.

General Assembly/Statehouse Senate: The Ohio Senate is a 33-member body, and since Senators serve 4-year terms versus the House’s 2-year terms, half of the seats are on the ballot every election cycle. Out of the 17 seats up in 2026, 8 of them are open seats which is a significant number since that is a fourth of that chamber.

Ohio Supreme Court: Two of the seven seats on the bench are up in 2026 for the state’s highest court. Several cycles ago, the Ohio legislature passed a law to list party affiliation next to Supreme Court candidates on the ballot. Republican candidates have seen a major boost from this change in recent elections, in a red-leaning Ohio where name ID was previously the main driver in winning these seats.

The lone Democrat, Justice Jennifer Brunner, is facing re-election. Pat Fischer, an incumbent Republican justice holding another seat on the bench whose term doesn't expire until 2028, announced a challenge to Brunner in May 2025—but subsequently dropped out after failing to secure the Ohio Republican Party endorsement. The ORP has chosen not to endorse in this primary (for now), and the names of Republican candidates vying to win the crowded Primary to take on Brunner in the General Election are state appellate judges Andrew King and Ron Lewis, along with ex-Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Colleen O’Donnell and Rocky River Municipal Court Judge Joseph Burke.

The other seat up in 2026 is held by Justice Dan Hawkins, who won the seat in 2024 to serve the remainder of that seat’s current term. As of today, no Democrats have yet filed to launch a challenge.

If you have any questions on Ohio political activity, or would like to receive a full briefing at your bank, please reach out to Anthony Lagunzad at alagunzad@ohiobankersleague.com.