Ohio 2026 elections

Political landscape in Ohio

Overview

Ohio is a Midwestern state. Pennsylvania borders it on the east, West Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Indiana on the west and Michigan on the northwest, and Lake Erie separates it from Ontario in Canada on the north. It ranks 34th in area and seventh in population, with nearly 11.9 million residents. Columbus is the capital and largest city, and Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Dayton are other major metropolitan centers. The Ohio River, which forms the southern border, gave the state its name. After independence the area joined the Northwest Territory, and Ohio entered the Union in 1803 as the earliest state admitted through the Northwest Ordinance. Long regarded as a core of American industry, it ranks third nationally in manufacturing and second in automobile production, alongside a large farm sector, and its economy has moved toward information and services in the 21st century. Nicknamed the Buckeye State, Ohio is the birthplace of seven US presidents and the place where the Wright brothers built the first successful airplane.

Officeholders

As of October 2026, the governor of Ohio is Mike DeWine (Republican), and the state's US senators are Bernie Moreno (Republican) and Jon Husted (Republican).

2026 elections

On November 3, 2026, voters in Ohio will decide a special election for a US Senate seat, the race for governor, contests in 15 US House districts and 1 ballot measure. The ballot measure would place in-person voter identification in the state constitution.