Dr. Amy Acton (left), the 2026 Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, and Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (right), who was officially endorsed as governor by the Ohio Republican Party. (Photos/graphics: WEWS.)
Ohio voters will cast ballots for a novel governor in 2026, as they will for all other executive offices across the state, because all current officeholders are term-limited.
This includes Ohio’s Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor, and Treasurer. There will also be elections for two Ohio Supreme Court justices this year.
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton is running as the Democratic candidate for governor. Former congressman Tim Ryan announced he would not run for governor, essentially clearing the way for Acton to win the Democratic nomination.
Acton has received nominations from the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, the Ohio Public School Employees Association, AFSCME Ohio Council 8, former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and the United Auto Workers.
Two Republican Party candidates are running for governor: entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and political newcomer Casey Putsch. The Ohio Republican Party officially endorsed Ramaswamy in May 2025.
Ramaswamy has won the support of unions, including the Ohio Teamsters Union and the Central Regional Council of Carpenters. President Donald Trump i President of the Center for Christian Virtue as well approved Ramaswamy, who ran for president in 2024.
Putsch lives in northwest Ohio and is the founder of the nonprofit charity Genius Garage.
Political newcomer Heather Hill he is also running for governor as, among others, independent after leaving the Republican Party.
Former Democratic state Rep. Elliot Forhan and John Kulewicz, a retired lawyer and Upper Arlington City Council member, are running in the Democratic primary for Ohio attorney general. Current Ohio Republican Auditor Keith Faber is also running for attorney general.
Democratic Representative of the State of Ohio in the House of Representatives Allison Russo AND Bryan Hambleyoncologist at the University of Cincinnati Health, is running in the Democratic primary for secretary of state.
Current Ohio Republican Treasurer Robert Sprague and retired Air Force intelligence officer Marcel Strbich are running in the Republican primary for secretary of state.
Ohio’s current Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose will run for state auditor in 2026.
Republicans seeking the nomination for Ohio treasurer include former state Sen. Niraj Antani, current state Sen. Kristina Roegner, former state Republican Jay Edwards and Lake County Treasurer Michael Zuren.
No Democrat has yet announced a 2026 candidacy for Ohio auditor or treasurer.
There will be two Ohio Supreme Court races on the ballot in 2026.
Ohio Democratic Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner was challenged by four Republicans competing in the primary – former Franklin County Court of Appeals Judge Colleen O’Donnell, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Andrew King, Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ron Lewis and state appellate Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger.
Brunner is the only Democratic justice on the Ohio Supreme Court with a 6-1 record.
Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justice Dan Hawkins will run for re-election against a Democratic nominee next year First Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Marilyn Zayas, who previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court in 2022 when she lost to Justice Pat DeWine with a 13% lead.
The deadline to file for office in Ohio is February 4, with Ohio’s primary election on May 5 and the general election on November 3.
The last time a Democratic candidate won any statewide executive office in Ohio was in 2006, when Ted Strickland was elected governor, Marc Dann was elected attorney general, Richard Cordray was elected treasurer and Jennifer Bruner was elected secretary of state.
Also in 2026, former Ohio Democratic senator Sherrod Brown will face appointed Ohio Republican senator Jon Husted, who replaced J.D. Vance in the chamber. Husted is seeking his first election to the position.
Follow the OCJ reporter Megan Henry in Bluesky.
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