With the midterm election less than a week away, Ohio voters are going to decide who they want in Congress, the governor’s mansion, and the Ohio Supreme Court, and additionally will vote on two major ballot issues.
With the large ballot at hand, here is a breakdown of who is running for election and what position they are running for.
The big-ticket race in Ohio is to fill the U.S. Senate seat left open by retiring Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). Republican nominee J.D. Vance was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and he is currently in a tight race with Democratic Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). According to a Cygnal survey from October 26-29 polling 1,510 prospective voters in Ohio, Vance received 48.2 percent of the vote compared to Ryan’s 43.7 percent.
Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who is currently running for re-election, is showing a 21 percent lead in the race against his Democratic challenger, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, according to Cygnal’s survey.
Ohioans will also choose three justices for the state supreme court as well as a secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, and treasurer.
Three of the seven seats on the Ohio Supreme Court are up for election next week. These races will determine whether Ohio has a Democratic or Republican majority in the court. The newly elected justices will hear cases on a number of important issues like redistricting and abortion. The candidates for chief justice are Democrats Jennifer Brunner, Marilyn Zayas, and Terri Jamison, and Republicans Sharon Kennedy, Pat DeWine, and Pat Fischer.
There are three candidates on the ballot for the position of Ohio secretary of state: Republican incumbent Frank LaRose, Democrat Chelsea Clark, and Independent Tore Maras. The elected official will become Ohio’s chief election officer overseeing the 2024 presidential election, will choose ballot language, and will be the final arbiter of who gets on the ballot.
The attorney general decides whether to fight lawsuits challenging the legality of state laws, whether to fight the federal government, and whether to prosecute people in cases covering a multitude of crimes. Incumbent Republican Dave Yost is running against Democratic Representative Jeff Crossman (D-OH-15) for this position.
Republican Auditor Keith Faber is asking for re-election for another four-year term, while Democratic candidate Taylor Sappington wants voters to make a change. The position of auditor is the state’s chief investigator. He or she follows the state’s money to make sure it has been spent wisely.
Ohio’s treasurer makes sure that the state’s bills get paid on time, the credit rating stays up, and the state’s investments continue to thrive. Republican incumbent Robert Sprague wants to be re-elected, while Democratic Mayor of Marion Scott Schertzer is attempting to unseat him.
Ohioans are also going to elect 15 representatives to the U.S. House. Some of those races are likely to re-elect an incumbent, but there are currently several close races.
In the Toledo area, longtime Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) is running for re-election against political newcomer Republican J.R. Majewski.
In the Akron-Canton area, longtime Ohio Democrat legislator Emilia Sykes (D-OH-34) is running against Trump-endorsed Republican Madison Gesiotto Gilbert (R-OH-13).
In Cincinnati, Republican U.S. Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH-01) is in a contentious race against Democratic Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman.
Ohio has 17 state Senate seats and all 99 House seats available this November and, comparable to the congressional races, some of these are competitive and some are not. Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers.
Ohio Democrats have an unlikely candidate attempting to unseat the Republican incumbent Sara Carruthers (R-OH-51). Sam Lawrence (D-OH-47) is a 19-year-old sophomore at Miami University and is running for the Ohio House of Representatives in District 47.
Independent candidate for Secretary of State Tore Maras was on the ballot and then taken off the ballot by the secretary of state team due to some of her signatures being “invalid.” She has been reinstated to the ballot as the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has overruled the initial decision.
State lawmakers decide on everything from sales taxes and income taxes to abortion, gun reforms, and funding for public schools. Who’s in charge of making these decisions in Ohio is important. Ohioans can check who is on their local ballot by going to the Ohio secretary of state’s website.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “JD Vance” by JD Vance. Photo “Congressman Tim Ryan” by Congressman Tim Ryan. Photo “Mike DeWine” by Governor Mike DeWine. Photo “Nan Whaley” by Nan Whaley. Photo “Frank LaRose” by Frank LaRose. Background Photo “Ohio Statehouse” by â±®. CC BY-SA 4.0.
